Too young for combat, the Army allowed him to join the famous Black Watch infantry regiment in a non-combat role as a drummer boy, after he obtained his orphanage's permission.

Showing strong punching throughout the fight on 1 January 1927, Foreman defeated Carl Tremaine in Philadelphia in a ninth round disqualification.

For the first nine rounds, Foreman had the best of the battle, finally winning the decision when Tremaine struck low, despite the referee's prior warnings to raise his punching.

[8] On 24 January 1927, released from his Army service, Foreman faced former world junior-lightweight champion Mike Ballerino at the arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, impressively winning the close bout in a ten-round points decision.

[9] On 9 May 1927, he lost to former Featherweight World Champion, Louis "Kid" Kaplan in a ten-round points decision at the Arena in Philadelphia.

Foreman was decisively beaten by his skilled Jewish opponent who "chased the Washington lad all over the ring for the entire ten rounds".

He lost to future Junior Welterweight Champion Johnny Jadick on 21 May 1928, in an eight-round points decision at the Polo Grounds in New York.

[11] Foreman earned the right to challenge Kid Roy for the British lightweight title by defeating French boxer George Chabot on 10 October 1928, in a decisive fourth round knockout in Montreal.

The Globe of Toronto disputed Foreman's claim to the title as he had fought in the United States, and served in the US military as a boxer for a two-year enlistment.

[2] While Canadian champion, Foreman drew with top lightweight contender Phil McGraw on 26 June 1929 in an important ten round decision in Montreal.

[15] On 13 December 1929, Foreman lost the Canadian Lightweight Title to Billy Townsend at the Arena in Vancouver before 3,000 fans, in a twelve-round mixed decision.

The home boxer Townsend of Vancouver, the "Blond Tiger", used a darting left jab to the face and solid rights to the head and body effectively throughout the bout.

[19] As a 129 featherweight, nearing the lightweight limit, on 30 July 1930, he met French boxer Maurice Holtzer in Montreal in a non-title bout, winning in a ten-round points decision.

In the opening of the sixth, following a feint to the body, Foreman followed quickly with a crushing right to the head and left uppercut that sent Rose to the mat for the full count, ending the bout with a knockout.

[21] On 17 March 1932, Foreman had a rare loss to Nel Tarleton in a twelve-round points decision at the Anfield Football Ground in Liverpool.

Tarleton was the reigning British Featherweight Champion at the time, and Foreman was rated in the top two of lightweight contenders in the world, according to most standings.

This was the match which gave Foreman his second valid claim to the British Empire lightweight championship, though few American newspapers covered the story.

[24] After his last fight, Foreman worked for the Montreal Standard, Canada's largest weekly newspaper, gaining recognition as an outstanding photojournalist.