ATLANTA (AP) -- Former boxing champion Vernon Forrest was shot and killed during an apparent robbery in Atlanta, police said Sunday.Atlanta Police Sgt. Lisa Keyes said in an e-mail Sunday that Forrest may have been robbed and was shot "multiple times in the back" Saturday night in Atlanta.
Keyes said there are no suspects.
"Vernon was one of the few decent people in boxing," promoter Gary Shaw said Sunday. ...
"I mean really decent. He cared about mentally challenged adults. He cared about kids. I just can't believe it."
Mark Guilbeau, an investigator with the Fulton County Medical Examiner's office, said an autopsy is planned for Sunday.
Forrest, a native of Augusta, Ga., who lived in Atlanta, was a member of the 1992 Olympic team. He was also a former WBC super welterweight champion.
"He was one of the most gracious and charitable fighters in boxing and he will be missed by the entire boxing community and all of his friends at HBO," HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg told The Associated Press.
Greenburg helped put on eight of Forrest's fights.
"It is time for the needless loss of life to end," Greenburg said. "Maybe Vernon's lasting legacy will be for Americans everywhere to rise up and end this kind of senseless violence."
Forrest worked to provide housing for the mentally challenged through his involvement in the Destiny's Child group home.
Forrest, 38, took two wins over Sugar Shane Mosley in 2002. On Sept. 13, 2008, Forrest reclaimed his WBC 154-pound title by beating Sergio Mora.
The win over Mora was Forrest's last fight. He suffered a rib injury while training for an April fight against Jason LeHoullier. That fight was canceled, and Forrest had to vacate his title.
There were tentative plans for a title fight against Sergio Martinez, perhaps in October, according to Shaw. Plans for an August fight against Martinez were pushed back by Forrest's rib injury.
Forrest, who had a 41-3 career record with 29 knockouts, is the third prominent boxer to die this month.
Former two-time champion Arturo Gatti, who retired in 2007, was found dead July 11 at a Brazilian resort. Gatti's wife, Amanda Rodrigues, is being held as the prime suspect.
Another former champion, Alexis Arguello, was found dead on July 1 at his home in Managua, Nicaragua. He was elected mayor of Nicaragua's capital last year.
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By: TRUTH_TELLER on 7/27/2009 2:17PM
I am sorry that I have never heard of Mr Forrest before this. I'm not into boxing, but he sounds like he had a big heart and that he was a great humanitarian. It's great when celebs don't let fame go to their heads and they have compassion for their fellowman.
He is an example that we all need to aspire to. And all of this damn senseless killing has to stop!
I read that he ran after the guy who took his wallet. I tell my kids, if some one takes something of yours just let them have it. Things can always be replaced, but you can't. People are too crazy out here these days.
I pray for his young son and his family. I hope his legacy will continue with his Destiny's Child program.
He died a hero.
Simply EL
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By: Black Moses on 7/27/2009 2:51PM
Hardly a ripple from the Black community about Black-on-Black violence and the loss of this good Black man. We save our collective outrage and vitriol for when whites arrests a bourgeois kneegro like Henry Gates or when whites kill a Black person. How embarrassing it is to know that 95% of Black homicide victims are done by another Black person. I remember when the Honorable Louis Farrakhan went around the country with his "Stop The Violence" tour and those bourgeois kneegroes didn't participate because they didn't want to upset their jewish and white sponsors. This tour inspired the collaboration of east and west coats rappers to make the song "Self Destruction". We shall never know how much more effective it could have been if the bourgeois kneegroes would have participated. The psychological effect whites on Blacks is a trip to witness. The key to stopping Black-on-Black violence has and always will be some form of Black nationalism incorporated into our daily lives. I find it to be hypocritical of Blacks to still be taking it to the streets for white cops killing Blacks when on that same week we killed two to three and sometimes more. The answers has been relayed to us from the time of Martin R. Delaney to the Honorable Louis Farrakhan, Black nationalism! But, we keep falling for the left hook thrown by Black anglophiles. I hate this brotha loss his life behind material tools of the system of white supremacy. Blacks are too caught up with the tangible rewards of been associated with whites. I know I can take up as much space as I want to on this blog because Blacks are not as vociferous about Black-on-Black killings. How pathetic it is for Blacks to be still throwing histrionic fits behind whites indiscretions and we remain relatively mute about infanticide. Blacks are not dealing properly with our wayward brothas and sistas, they are the minority. We know where they are and they know who to mess with. For example, why don't you think there are no problems whenever or where ever the Nation of Islam gather. Hey, if you want to make a Black omelet, you have to crack some Black eggs.
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By: sharkchops on 7/27/2009 9:30PM
I agree, BM. It's amazing how we overlook our own transgressions but raise holy heck when the crimes involve a white perpetrator. All this "Stop Snitchin'" crap has us turning a blind eye and trying to sweep own problems under the rug unless it can be turned into something racist. There was a story a couple years ago about a black man who left his ex-girlfriend's toddler daughter out in the swamps to die as revenge bt I never heard a peep out of the black community about that heinous crime that haunts me to this day just thinking about it. Im sure had he been white, it would Revs. Al and Jesse would have had a Million Man march through the Everglades. But as soon as some trailer trash woman makes a false claim about some imaginary black carjackers, it's all over black radio and running rampant through all the barbershops and beauty parlors and we're talking about holding demonstrations. Do we enjoy playing the wronged victims so we can lament our status in this country? I guess it gives some black folk an excuse to act like n!99as and not take responsibility for themselves. We gotta hold each other accountable or all our cries of racism don't really mean anything when we're acting as bad as or worse than the racists.
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