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At the age of 27, Steve has been fighting as a pro for over 7 ½ years. He won the IBF jr. lightweight world title in December, 2000, and made one successful title defense.
He did not lose the title in the ring. The title was vacated before Steve's second defense in August, 2002, when he did not make the 130-pound weight limit. He still won the fight, however.
Steve said, “I was off for so long, about a year before that fight and I tried something new. I did a lot of weightlifting. I had put on extra muscle, and it was very difficult to make that weight.”
He's challenged for world titles two times since then.
In his last fight on August 7, he lost a 12 round unanimous decision against WBA super featherweight world champion Yodsanan 3K Battery .
Steve said, “I thought the fight was a lot closer than how the judges had it, even Yodsanan himself said that after our fight. I think I got off to a slow start, and then didn't pick it up until the tenth round. I expected him to come forward in the fight but he did a lot of moving, which surprised me because they talked about him being a puncher. I was able to hurt him a few different times throughout the fight. When I was in front of him I felt I was a lot stronger than he was inside, but it was a good action fight.”
In October, 2003, Steve challenged for the same IBF jr. lightweight world title that he had previously held, but lost by technical decision against defending champion Carlos Hernandez when the fight was stopped on cuts. Steve had won nine fights in a row before that, spanning over three years.
Steve is moving up to the lightweight division in this fight. He said, “I think I definitely have to move up in weight. It was no secret that I had trouble making the 130-pound weight limit. I made it, but it was very very tough. I've always been ranked at 130 pounds, and fights would come up that I didn't want to pass up. You don't turn down a championship fight if you can get one. Finally I was like, ‘No more 130, I can't do it.'
“My main thing is that I'm going to win some fights and I'm going to lose some, but my record is still good with only three losses. I'm planning on getting back in there and looking sharp.”
A native of Portland , Oregon , Steve recently moved back to Las Vegas . He lived there for seven years, from 1996 through 2002.
Regarding his nickname, he said, “When I was born, that's how much I weighed, two pounds. I was premature. So it just stuck with me through school, the boxing gym. Everywhere I go, that name just never goes away. 2 Pound, that's it. Some people don't even know my real name, they just know me as 2 Pound.”
Key Fights - 2004 - WBA SF WORLD TITLE CHALLENGE - in his last fight on 8-7-04 in Mashantucket , CT , he lost a 12 round unanimous decision against defending champion Yodsanan 3K Battery (42-2-1): Yodsanan, a lefthander, consistently pressed forward and outworked Steve for most of the fight; Steve rallied in rounds seven, eight and 12; scored 117-111 on all three scorecards…
On 6-4-04 in Lincoln City, OR, he TKO'd Arthur Cruz (19-14-2): the fight was made on one week's notice when the originally scheduled main event fell through, and Steve weighed a career-high 146, but he dominated the fight; Steve scored two knockdowns in the 2 nd round with body punches - Cruz got up both times, but Steve rocked him with a series of punches and the referee stopped the fight at 1:59…
2003 - IBF JL WORLD TITLE CHALLENGE - on 10-4-03 in Los Angeles, CA, he lost a technical decision against defending champion Carlos Hernandez (39-3-1): both fighters gave strong efforts and it was an exciting fight; Steve staggered Hernandez in the 4 th round, but Hernandez rallied and outworked Steve in several rounds; Hernandez was cut over the left eye by a clash of heads in the 6 th round, and over the right eye by another clash of heads in the 10 th ; the fight was stopped on the cuts and went to the scorecards - Hernandez led by scores of 98-92, 97-93, 97-94…
On 4-26-03 in Las Vegas , NV , he won a 10 round unanimous decision against Silverio Ortiz (13-2): Steve dominated the fight and won by scores of 99-91, 98-92, 97-93; after the fight, he said, “The guy was a tough guy because the guy was moving. My timing was a little bit off the first four rounds. After that, I started getting into a rhythm. He was pretty strong.”…
On 1-3-03 in Norman , OK , he TKO'd Ronnie Longakit (6-8-1):Steve consistently outworked Longakit, rocked him several times, and stopped him at 0:30 of the 5 th round…
2002 - LOST IBF JL WORLD TITLE - on 8-18-02 in Temecula, CA, he won a 12 round split decision in the rematch against David Santos (42-4): Steve was 2.75 pounds overweight at the weigh-in and lost the title on the scales, but still won the fight; it was an exciting battle and both had their moments; Steve rocked Santos in the 4 th round and cut him over the left eye, but Santos came back and stunned Steve in the 5 th ; scored 117-111, 117-111 Forbes, 115-113 Santos; after the fight, Steve said, “It was because of the long layoff. I came down from a tremendous amount of weight.”…
2001 – 1 ST IBF JL WORLD TITLE DEFENSE – on 9-29-01 in Miami , FL , he won a 12 round unanimous decision in the rematch against John Brown (23-8): Brown gave a good effort and fought aggressively, but Steve kept a busier pace, was the more accurate puncher and staggered Brown in the 12 th round; scored 117-111, 115-113, 115-113…
2000 – WON VACANT IBF JL WORLD TITLE – on 12-3-00 in Miami, FL, he TKO'd John Brown (22-7): it was an exciting fight with good action and Brown built an early lead, but Steve landed a punch in the 8 th round that lacerated the cartilage in Brown's left ear; it was a very bloody injury, and the referee stopped the fight at 2:22 of the 8 th round; after seven rounds, the scorecards were split 69-64, 67-66 Brown, 67-66 Forbes; after the fight, Steve said, “ Dreams do come true for those who believe. I said when I was ten years old that someday I would be a champion. Tonight, it finally happened. Yes, this was definitely the toughest I ever had. His hand speed is deceptive. People don't give him credit for his speed. He's faster than people think.”…
WON USBA JL TITLE – on 9-17-00 in Detroit, MI, he won a 12 round unanimous decision against David Santos (37-3): Steve gave an impressive performance and dominated the fight; he consistently outworked Santos and staggered him in the 10 th round; Santos was cut over the left eye in the 10 th and swollen around both eyes by the final bell; scored 120-108, 118-110, 117-111…
On 8-18-00 in Concho , OK , he won a 10 round unanimous decision against late replacement Moises Pedroza (21-2-1): Steve dominated the fight with his speed and sharper punching, and won by scores of 100-90 on all three scorecards…
On 6-16-00 in Las Vegas , NV , he won a 10 round majority decision against Ernesto Zepeda (24-3-2): Zepeda was the harder puncher, but Stephen fought aggressively and consistently backed him up; Zepeda was cut over both eyes and had a bloody nose; scored 97-93, 96-94, 95-95…
On 5-19-00 in Beverly Hills , CA , he won a 6 round unanimous decision against Don Futrell (15-2), scored 59-55 on all three scorecards…
On 3-11-00 in Indio , CA , he lost a 12 round majority decision against former WBC featherweight world champion Alejandro Gonzalez (41-4): it was a very close fight; Gonzalez was the harder puncher and effectively attacked the body, but Steve was busier at times and scored well with combinations; scored 115-13, 115-113, 114-114…
On 1-22-00 in Del Mar, CA, he won an 8 round decision against Juan Torres (11-8)…
On 1-9-00 in Bay St. Louis, MS, he won a 6 round majority decision against David Armstrong (16-5-2), scored 58-56, 58-57, 57-57…
He debuted at the age of 19 on 12-6-96 in Reno , NV , and won a 4 round majority decision against Octavio Suarez , scored 40-36, 39-37, 38-38...
AMATEUR, PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Steve was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, and grew up in family with one brother and one sister…he said, “When I was 10 years old, I was with my grandma in the store, and I saw a Ring Magazine with Evander Holyfield on it. He was ‘Fighter of the Year.' I got real excited. I was the type of kid that, sometimes I would get into fights. I would see somebody in trouble and try to help them out. Right after that, I went to the recreation center, the Matt Dishman Community Center . I started going down there and they had a boxing program. I always liked contact sports. It's still there, that's the gym we go to now. I had 77 amateur fights, 67-10. I was a five-time Washington and Oregon Golden Gloves champion. I didn't fight in the '96 Olympic Trials. I took time off right and I didn't box around that time.”…
The Pacific Northwest has produced a number of top fighters, including former former WBA and IBF jr. lightweight world champion Rocky Lockridge , former WBA jr. welterweight world champion Johnny Bumphus , and 1976 Olympic flyweight gold medalist Leo Randolph , all of Tacoma, Washington, and former lightweight contender Ray Lampkin of Portland. Steve said, “I trained in Washington for a year, year-and-a-half. I used to watch Rocky Lockridge a lot, he trained in Tacoma . I used to see some of the guys like Leo Randolph, the Olympian, he would come by the gym. I didn't see too much of Johnny Bumphus. I got a cousin, Danell Nicholson , he lives in Chicago . He fought David Tua , he fought one of the Klitschkos. He's my second cousin. His mom and my mom are cousins.
“I'm a full-time fighter. I'm kind of separated right now. I have one daughter.”…
STRENGTHS: Has good skills, speed, and mobility…had a strong amateur background…is experienced against very good opposition…
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