Boxingtalk caught up with former contender star Steve Forbes.  He informed Boxingtalk that he has signed his contract to take on Francisco Bojado as part of the Sergio Mora vs Kassim Ouma card, scheduled for September 15th, 2007.  Forbes also comments on his former stable mates, Alfonso Gomez, Sergio Mora, and Peter Manfredo Jr.

BC – What's up Steve?

SF – What's up, I'm just relaxing.  I am back in the gym in preparation for a possible fight against Francisco Bojado.  He was a hot prospect, but then he disappeared for 3 years, and returned the night before the De La Hoya vs Mayweather Jr fight.  He's a good technical fighter, but he's never fought anybody like me.  It shows they have balls, if it's true that they want to fight me.

BC – Where do the negotiations for this fight stand at now?

SF – I have already signed my half of the contract, I don't know where they are at.  I signed with the contender saying that I would do that fight.  The ball is in their court, but I heard it's a go, but you never know in boxing Brad.

BC – Will this be on the Mora vs Ouma card?

SF – Yes, it's scheduled to be on the same card as Sergio Mora vs Kassim Ouma. So I signed, and we will see what happens.  He's a good match up for me, good prospect, but honestly? I am surprised that they want to tackle me being off so long.  Especially with my performance against Demetrius Hopkins.

BC – Steve have you filed charges against the judges yet for the highway robbery that you suffered with the decision in that fight? (laughs).

SF – (laughs), I wanted to file charges being robbed like that in front of thousands of people.

BC – You may as well been held up at gun point.

SF – (laughs), I would have felt better if they would have just held a gun to my head, and robbed me that way.

BC – You helped get Ricky Hatton ready for his fight against Castillo, how did that go?

SF – Man, that was great.  We learned a lot of things for each other.  I worked like 16 days with the guy, we had some good, good workouts.

BC – I heard Ricky Hatton is a character, a funny guy.

SF – We would get a lot of press over in England with us working out together, and when you did an interview with the press, you could expect to get a cold bucket of water poured over your head during the interview, the guy is crazy (laughs).

BC – With how you were robbed against Demetrius Hopkins, do you use that to motivate you for your next fight?

SF – Absolutely, I already showed that I am a top guy at the 140lb division.  Coming off my performance against Hopkins showed everybody that.  I just pressured him and broke him down.  I will do the same thing against this prospect Bojado.  I don't care how long he's been off either.

BC – Did you ever have an opportunity to speak to the judges after your fight against Hopkins?

SF – No, but I would really like to.  I don't want something like this to happen to me again.  If I knew that was going to happen, I would have never even fought.  When you work so hard to get into the ring, and then something like that happens, it just stinks the whole sport of boxing up.  I am glad that we had the viewers on television, and the big crowd that saw how bad I was robbed.  I have heard that people are saying that it was the worst robbery that they have ever seen.  People who are huge boxing fans are saying that it's the worst robbery that they have ever seen.  I just have to move on, and look forward and looking better in my next fight.

BC – How long do you think it will take for you to position yourself for a world title shot?

SF – Maybe by next summer, next year.  I think that's an adequate time to get a shot at it, I would like a shot at Ricky Hatton, or even Paulie Malignaggi.  I want to fight a guy that comes to fight. 

BC – People can say what they want about Paulie Malignaggi, but that kid can fight his ass off.

SF – Absolutely he can fight, he uses his tools very well.  Paulie uses what he has, and that's all that you can ask any fighter.  He has a lot of heart as well, and what he did against Miguel Cotto, then comes back and wins a world title?  You have to congratulate the kid on that, he's a possible opponent for me one day, I would like to fight him.

BC – How do you see the fight with Alfonso Gomez vs Arturo Gatti?

SF – If Gatti shows up in the Gatti form of a year ago, I think he edges out Gomez.  With that said, you have to give Gomez a fighters chance in this one.  Sooner or later that fight will turn into a dog fight.  I think Gomez needs to pick his spots, I am leaning towards Gatti just a little bit because of experience.

BC – Sergio Mora vs Kassim Ouma?

SF – You have to give Mora a lot of credit for taking this fight.  Mora has never been in there with a guy that throws one thousand punches in a fight. 

BC – Sergio took a lot of heat for turning down a seven figure fight against Jermain Taylor.

SF – That's something that you don't do.  Seven figures? My goodness, man I have never fought for seven figures.  With that fight, I think the fight against Ouma is a good competitive fight.  Ouma is tough to hurt too, he throws a ton of punches and he's tough to hurt.  It's going to be a tough assignment for Mora.  You have to favor Ouma in this one because of the experience, and the caliber of opponents that he has faced.

BC – Sergio takes a bad rap by some people because of the contender 1 series, but the kid can actually fight, and he's pretty damn slick.

SF – He is, he's a lot better than people think.  I think he could really surprise a lot of people in this fight, and my hats off to him for taking it. 

BC – Peter Manfredo Jr has been busy as of late, how far do you think he can take his career?

SF – I think Manfredo is a good, good fighter.  It wasn't fair with that whole Calzaghe thing.  His last fight, he needed to get up for that fight.  You can't be sleeping on these guys, you can't do it.  Peter might have just been burned out, so I hope it was that and he didn't take the guy lightly.  People remember your last fight, and he got hit with a lot of right hands.  I think him not being in camp had a big impact on that fight.  I have seen Peter fight a lot better than that, and I think he will get back to where he was.  I think Peter fits right in there with the Jeff Lacy's, and Allan Green's.

BC – This kid Miguel Espino is making some noise now as well.  He's been under the radar, but he's doing his thing slowly but surely.

SF – He is quietly making steps, and he's building up his record and his confidence. 

BC – Do you have any closing thoughts for your fans?

SF – Yes, I want to tell my fans that I am looking forward to getting back in there on September 15th against Francisco Bojado.  You guys will get another exciting fight, and I want them to know that I haven't forgot what happened to me against Hopkins, remember that!

M

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