By Ricardo Ibarra

Nearly five years removed from his last fight, former Jr. lightweight world champion Steve “2 Pound” Forbes (35-14, 11 KOs) will return to the ring on April 6th at the Clackamas Armory in Clackamas, Oregon. Forbes will fight in the main event of 2Pound Sports & Entertainment’s third card in the Portland area, a promotion founded by himself and partner Christina Lunzman, heading up a scheduled line-up of some of the best young fighters from in and around the state.

One of the most accomplished fighters to come out of the Pacific Northwest in recent memory, Forbes amassed a forty-nine-fight record over his twenty-two-years as a pro, facing a number of upper tier fighters along the way. He claimed the vacant IBF 130 lbs. strap in the year 2000, defeating well-regarded contender John Brown by unanimous decision. He would go on to defend once before losing the title on the scale, coming in over the limit prior to his fight against David Santos, whom he went on to defeat by twelve round split decision.

As a welterweight, Forbes was featured on the second season of the reality show ‘The Contender’ in 2006, where he fought his way to the show’s final match, losing by decision to Grady Brewer. In 2008 Forbes landed a lucrative fight against Oscar Delahoya, losing a twelve round unanimous decision. He got a crack at the WBC 147 lbs. championship in September of that same year, suffering a twelve round unanimous decision loss to then title holder Andre Berto.

Leading up to his departure from the sport in 2014, Forbes took on several young contenders, including future world title holder Jesse Vargas in May of 2012 (L UD10). He last fought in October of 2014, dropping an eight round unanimous decision to Antonio Orozco.

He stepped into the promoter’s role in 2017, forming his own company along with partner Christina Lunzman, and staging the first professional show to take place in the city of Portland in nearly twelve years. Seeing the rekindled support for the sport from his hometown played a role in his decision to come back.

“When we did our shows, that got me wanting to come back,” said Forbes. “It’s funny, I had been thinking about it since I was in camp with Mayweather for his fight with Berto and he kept saying I should think about coming back because I still looked good. But I got injured and spent a lot of time off because of it. A couple years later we did our shows here and it got me wanting to do it again. People out here really showed their support…and I liked the idea of coming back on my own show, on my own terms, in my hometown.”

Forbes spent most of his professional run fighting away from Portland, leaving the state of Oregon early in his career to pursue better opportunities. The prospect of making his comeback at home spurred on his decision.

“I’ve only fought in this area three times. I wanted to fight at home again. We’ve gotten a lot of support with our shows and I thought this would be a good way to help get some attention for these younger guys and support the sport in Oregon…I’ve been working hard and feeling great in the gym. Been sparring with a lot of young guys and a lot of my old tricks are starting to show up again. I love boxing again, for a while I didn’t…I’m looking forward to getting back in there.”

Forbes will be fighting in a seven-round bout at Jr. middleweight against an opponent to be announced shortly. Also scheduled to see action on the card will be unbeaten young prospect Victor “El Tornado” Morales, Jr. (9-0, 5 KOs) of nearby Vancouver, Washington; fan-favorite Blaiwas Eaglepipe (1-1), of Salem, Oregon; and several other Portland area fighters.

“I’m really excited about this card,” said promoter Christina Lunzman. “Steve’s been sharp in the gym and doing some things that we’ve never seen from him. I’m excited for it to be here at home. The card has a lot of exciting young fighters, which is what the town needs, an event showcasing the talent we have in this area…It’s going to be a great event.”

The Clackamas Armory in Clackamas, Oregon is located twenty miles south of Portland. Tickets to 2Pound Sorts & Entertainment’s ‘Fight Night 3: Redemption’ are available now at www.tickettomato.com. For more information visit www.2poundsports.com or the 2Pound Sports & Entertainment Facebook page.