When A Fighter Fell In Forrest, I Listened Closely

This posting may be a little late, but it’s right on time. Right on time because it appears that the lowlifes who murdered Vernon Forrest are slowly being brought to justice. But rather than focus on them, let’s place the focus where it needs to be. I did not know him personally nor was he one of my favorite fighters. But Vernon Forrest’s death shook me in a way that I initially could not explain. It took me some time to try understand, but now I know why.

It’s because I am a father. When I first read reports around the time of his robbery and murder, all I could think about was the 11-year old son of his girlfriend who was with him on that tragic evening. Was the young boy in the car during the attempted carjacking? Or did he witness Forrest’s violent death? These nightmarish questions made it hard for me to sleep, as I thought about the emotional abyss that such an event could leave in a child. I prayed and hoped he was spared the indignity.

When it came out later that the young boy was likely in the convenience store when the cowardly act was perpetrated, my "fatherly nightmare" was averted. Or so I thought. In reality, I found it to only be a mild reprieve. After all, a very caring man, also known as the Viper, was no longer with us. Maybe I was trying to shift focus from the tragedy of his death by focusing on the boy’s experience on that night. Whatever it was, it didn’t work ultimately.

As I write this today, I am still sad. Arguello. Gatti. And now Forrest. Forrest will be remembered by many for his wins over Sugar Shane Mosley. He will also be remembered by many for his charitable efforts outside the ring. I will remember Forrest for all of these things, but his tragic death will also remind me of my fatherhood. And how much I cherish it.