Vernon Forrest.. One of life's givers..

Vernon Forrest remains one of the forgotten great champions from the 1990s, apart from winning world titles in two divisions (welterweight and light middleweight) and beating Sugar Shane Mosley three times, handing Shane his first two losses in his pro career and once as an amateur, Vernon was an outstanding amateur, running a 225 / 16 record, he was a silver medalist at the 1991 world amateur championships at welterweight losing only in the final to the great Kostya Tszyu then winning the US amateur championships the very next year..  Al Mitchell put Forrest on the Olympic squad in 1992 for the Barcelona games, his place earned with a victory over future professional foe Shane Mosley. Forrest was the gold medal favourite going into the games, with only the Cuban fighter Hector Vinent (Reining gold medalist) to be concerned about..   However disaster struck, days prior to his first round bout, Forrest had been complaining about stomach pains, it turns out he had contracted severe food poisoning whilst eating out in the Olympic village..  Forrest would still box, but lose to Peter Richardson, a man he'd easily beaten in the 1991 championships..    Forrest put the pain of Barcelona behind him, moved away from his native Augusta Ga to turn pro, relocating to Las Vegas..  Vernon would debut in the November of 1992 but by 1996 he was already 15 / 0 with 13 stoppages..  Forrests first championship tilt would come in 2000, against Raul Frank for the IBF welterweight belt, where a clash of heads would result in a no contest. A rematch in New York would see Vernon win his first title unanimously..   A year later Vernon would challenge the highly regarded WBC Champion Shane Mosley, the rest in history..  Forrest would be regarded as the lineal champion by Ring Magazine. Vernon would suffer devastating setbacks with back to back losses to Ricardo Mayorga and being plagued with rotator cuff and elbow injuries, resulting in two years away from boxing..
2005 Vernon Forrest was back and in 2007, after three comeback fights
he would pick up the WBC light middleweight title by outpointing Carlos Baldomir in Washington,  defend once against Italian Michele Piccirillo before once again losing his title to Sergio Mora. However six months later in Las Vegas Vernon would regain his title in the rematch in what would be the last time he would lace on gloves.
With a record of 41 / 3 (29 knockouts) Forrest retired from boxing, satisfied with his accomplishments with his family in Georgia, a devout Christian, Forrest would work tirelessly with local charities, giving back to a community from where he came..

Tragically, on July 25, 2009, Forrest stopped at a gas station in the neighbourhood of Mechanicsville Georgia, with him was his 11-year-old godson. As the boy went inside the gas station, Forrest went to the back of his car to add air to a low tire. As this occurred, a man robbed him at gunpoint and fled. Forrest, who was armed, went after the man and shots were exchanged. After a short distance, Forrest gave up the chase and began talking to a second man, It was this man that shot Forrest seven to eight times in the back, the shooter and a second person left the scene in a red Pontiac. Forrest was pronounced dead at the scene and the death was ruled a homicide. Atlanta Police would arrest and later charge 25-year-old Jquante Crews, 20-year-old Demario Ware and 30-year-old Charman Sinkfield for his murder. It is believed that Sinkfield was the shooter, Ware was the robber, and Crews was the driver. All three are currently serving life sentences.