Fighting Words: Jerry Forrest Confident Regardless Of Opponent
Whether in the ring or outside of it, Jerry Forrest is passionate about boxing. His dedication to the sport knows no bounds, as seen by the ability to be able to adapt to any circumstance. He will look to show it to the world tonight, July 9, from inside the MGM Grand Conference Center.
Under the bright lights of Las Vegas, Forrest (26-3) will face off against Carlos Takam. Takam is replacing Jarrell Miller, who was caught again with performance-enhancing drugs in his system. Even with eleven days to prepare for a new opponent, Forrest feels no pressure.
“I believe in myself, so whether it was Takam or ‘Big Baby’ Miller, I believe I was gonna win,” Forrest stated to Boxing Scene. “Either way, I’m gonna out-box him. It doesn’t matter if it’s him, ‘Big Baby’ Miller or whoever. That’s just the realness of it. I mean, Takam’s a great fighter. But I know he can’t out-box me. I know that for a fact. I know that my power is deceiving. I know I’m gonna be in better in shape. It’s just simple factors that I value that are different for me, that gives me the edge over a lot of fighters.”
Forrest is coming off of a knockout win against Martez Williamson in September. It was a rebound following his first loss in 18 fights against Jermaine Franklin. He made his debut in 2012 and is still considered the underdog in his upcoming bout.
Takam (38-5-1) is on a three-fight win streak. The 39-year-old Cameroonian-born star beat Fabio Maldonado in February. Signing with Top Rank in September, the former WBF Heavyweight Champion has 28 wins via knockout. Forrest believes he has Takam scouted, and even with Takam fighting inside it wouldn’t be able to fluster him.
“I think his strength is pressure and punches in bunches,” Forrest went on to say. “He’s not super sharp, but he throws a lot of punches in bunches. I think I’m gonna capitalize on that simply because if you seen me and Jermaine Franklin fight, if you start throwing punches in bunches on me, and you throw ‘em wide, I’m gonna come right up the middle. I’m gonna be sharper, crisper every time.
As far as Miller is concerned, Forrest has dismissed the former kickboxer every chance he gets. The 31-year-old Miller last fought in November 2018, beating Bogdan Dinu via knockout for the interim WBA-NABA and WBO-NABA Heavyweight Titles. It was his second win in a row via knockout, his 20th overall.
This is the second time in a year that Miller has been suspended for drug use. He failed three separate drug tests before a 2019 fight against Anthony Joshua (all for GW501516, HGH, and IPO), forcing him out of action. Calling him someone who has destroyed boxing’s credibility, Forrest believes he would fair well against Miller, no matter the circumstances.
“I don’t think much of him as a fighter,” Forrest said to Boxing Scene. “I mean, he can box a little bit. But to me, a lot of guys are made because of where they are. He was in Gleason’s Gym, training or whatever, and then [promoter Dmitriy] Salita put him on TV. That’s my opinion. They found guys he can beat. That’s why I know for a fact I would’ve smashed him. Honestly, Joey Dawejko crushed him. He lost that Joey Dawejko fight [a majority draw in January 2013]. You can’t even find that fight online anymore.”
The action begins for Top Rank at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. FIGHT SPORTS will be providing coverage of the fight.