Bonus (Part 2): More Boxing with Ben and Bob!

This is part two of our interview with Albuquerque boxing agent and promoter and sponsor of our podcast, Ben Wilson. In part one, we learned from Ben how boxing legend Bob Foster made his way from West Texas to Albuquerque as a boy and his meteoric rise to the top of the sport as the light heavyweight champion of the world. In part two, Ben tells us about the close relationship Bob had with Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali, as the two trained in 1959 for the Pan Am Games and the next year for the 1960 Olympics in Rome. That relationship culminated in a major bout between the two in November of 1972, where Foster became the only boxer ever to draw blood on Ali. We learn about the collection of boxing memorabilia that was ultimately consolidated to form the Bob Foster Boxing Museum. Ben introduces us to two other local boxers who influenced the early days of the museum. Finally, Ben explains how he has attempted to correct the record on some basic facts about the life of Bob Foster—including Bob’s date of birth!