Portland used to be a fight town.

With more than 20 boxing gyms within a few miles of one another and amateur tournaments easy to come by, one might assume the current scene is still healthy. The assumption would be wrong, though.

The city is far removed from meaningful fistic happenings, with the last professional fight card taking place way back in 2005. There is no palpable clamor for pro boxing, no proletarian hunger for prize fighting.

Steve Forbes is hoping to change that.

“We shouldn’t have to drive hours to watch live boxing,” Forbes told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “My grandma, who raised me, always told me, ‘You’re gonna be the person to bring the fights back here.'”

But that’s just one of the reasons why Forbes, the former IBF super featherweight champion who was born and raised in Portland, has organized the city’s first professional fight card in 12 years.

Mary Overstreet Smith, Forbes’ late grandmother, knew better than anyone what her grandson could do for the community he grew up in. As a pastor she opened up the Powerhouse Temple Church, earning a reputation as someone who would go to great lengths to help those around her.

Apart from the endless food and toy drives, Overstreet Smith opened one of Portland’s first ever free health clinics as well as an autism center. Her shoes aren’t easy to fill, but that’s exactly what Forbes plans to do, using boxing as a vehicle.

On Dec. 9 at the Jackson Armory in Northeast Portland, Forbes and his business partner Christina Lunzman will put the plan into motion under the 2 Pound Sports & Entertainment banner, presenting Oregon’s first ever boxing card mixing professional and amateur fights. This is just the opening salvo of an attempt to connect with the locals by reintroducing them to boxing.

“We’re going to do a food bank (at the fights); encourage everyone to bring a can of food, toy or both,” Forbes said. “We want to help out less fortunate people that are struggling.”

In terms of magnitude, the 500-seat venue is a far cry from the city’s last pro fight card, which was the only time Forbes fought in his hometown in an 18-year career, and featured Floyd Mayweather, Jr. on HBO at the 20,000-seat Rose Garden. But it’s a start, and ultimately a way for Forbes to utilize his talents and know-how to sustain the family business of helping people.

Historically a blue collar sport, boxing rode waves of popularity in Portland in the 1970s and 80s following the great success of the Moyer family, and middleweight Denny Moyer in particular. Monthly and bi-monthly shows dotted the calendar well into the 80s, when boxing apparently fell out of favor despite a Portland native like Forbes holding a world title for nearly two years in the late 90s. It hasn’t kept Forbes from feeling the love, however.

Even just around town he gets recognized,” said Lunzman. “People remember.”

It could have a bit to do with his appearance on NBC’s reality program “The Contender,” but it’s just as likely due to Forbes’ cool demeanor and ability to connect to people.

It’s easy to root for long shots like Forbes, who has battled long odds since being born at only two pounds, accounting for his “2 Pounds” nickname. And great nicknames run in the family, just like tenacity: Overstreet Smith once sold a house of hers and used the money to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, earning her the moniker “Hurricane Mary.”

“Hurricane Mary” died in 2016, leaving in her wake a massive void of charity and love. It’s a space Forbes feels he can fill with his own brand of service.

Bringing the fight racket back to Portland is no small task. It could take years to rebuild the local fight scene into something substantial. And that’s okay with Forbes.

“There was never a thought in my head suggesting I couldn’t do something,” Forbes said. “My grandma taught me that, and it’s how I feel about putting on boxing here. Also, people want to see boxing. Why not here?”

— Patrick Connor, @PatrickMConnor/@BoxingHistory