Nathan Forrest is counting down the days to the biggest night of his boxing life.
The undefeated 25-year-old, already a Northern Area champion, has won a place in the WBC Grand Prix of Boxing.
It all gets under way in Saudi Arabia (where else?) on April 18 when Forrest will be one of 32 light-welterweights (super-lightweight if you are a fan under the age of 50) setting off on a journey which climaxes with the final on December 20.
The word exciting barely does this news justice.
“I’m looking forward to it,” said the Bishop Auckland boxer, who is trained in Hartlepool by Neil Fannan, one of the sport’s most respected figures.
“From the start of my pro career I’ve wanted to be in good fights.
“I never wanted to be built up over 15 fights and then let loose, I always said I wanted the decent fights as soon as Fanno thought I was ready.
“It is the biggest stage in boxing.
“This is the pinnacle of the sport at my level.
The Grand Prix is a world competition featuring 128 prospects across four weight divisions: Featherweight, light-welterweight, middleweight and, of course, heavyweight.
It was a dream of former World Boxing Council president Jose Sulaiman and now his son, Mauricio, the current head of the WBC, and Turki Alalshikh, the Mr Fix It of the fight game, are making it a reality.
Entrants could be no older than 26 and have had no more than 10 contests.
Nathan, at 25 and with a fight log of 8-0, fitted the criteria and he is in. The bouts in the opening stages will be over six rounds with the final over 10.
“Some of the best pros around the world will be going there and be boxing at one of the biggest stages the sport has,” Forrest told punch-lines.
“I’ll be going there as an underdog in many people’s eyes, but anyone who underestimates me will be in for a shock.”
Forrest comes into the WBC Grand Prix in very good heart after a ruthless first-round stoppage of Scotland’s Donnie McInnes on the Shamrock Promotions event at the Walker Dome in February.
After wobbling the Glaswegian with a left hook, he followed up with a volley of shots and when another left hook sent the Scot to the canvas, it was called off by referee Danny McFarlane.
It was his third early finish following a fifth-round win over Dean Wilkinson in Hartlepool in May 2023 and his third-round triumph over the previously undefeated Kai Richmond for the Northern Area lightweight belt at Houghton-le-Spring.
Confidence therefore will be high while he says the work in Fannan’s gym has never really stopped.
“We’d been in the gym building for the December 13 date which got called off and I ticked over over Christmas,” he added.
“We have so much good training and sparring already in the bag – our camp will have lasted four to five months.
“We are sparring Bobby Dalton this week and he’s a big, strong, fit lad and we’ll be getting some more in.”
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Jason Corbett/ Mindenwood Photography
