Vinny Pazienza and Stevie Forbes dual signed Everlast glove. Vinny has inscribed the glove "to my man big Vinny stay strong 5 x world champ 2006".

Price: £75

Since his professional debut on May 26, 1983, Vinny Paz (formerly Pazienza) has been one of boxing's most charismatic and exciting fighters. Very few fighters have had the same success in the ring, and at the box office, as Vinny has had. He had won five world titles at lightweight, junior middleweight, and super middleweight.

Paz won his first world title on June 7, 1987 with a 15 round decision over reigning IBF world lightweight champion Greg Haugen in an epic war in front of a sell-out crowd at the Providence Civic Center. It would be four years before Vinny was once again a world champion. Thought of as shot, Vinny showed everyone that you should never count him out. He dominated WBA world junior middleweight champion Gilbert Dele and stopped him in the 12th round.

Soon after the Dele fight, Vinny was involved in a serious automobile accident. Pazienza was told that he would never fight again, and he spent the better part of three months in a hospital bed. Those doctors who told Vinny he would never fight obviously did not know the heart of a true champion. Against doctors orders, and without their knowledge, "The Pazmanian Devil" returned to the gym with a halo on. He began lifting weights, getting back the strength he lost while sitting in bed.

He finally made his triumphant return to the ring just over a year later capping off an unbelievable recovery. His first opponent was former WBC world super welterweight champion Luis Santana. Paz won a unanimous ten round decision that not only marked his return to the ring, but also marked the beginning of major professional boxing at the Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket, Conn.

Vinny went on to defeat top contender Brett Lally and former world champions Lloyd Honeyghan and Robbie Sims before getting another shot at a world title. This time Vinny moved on to Aspen, Colorado to take on Dan Sherry for the IBO world super middleweight title. Paz dominated the former model and took the championship via 11th round knockout. A victory over contender Jaques LeBlanc set up another world title fight. This time the bright lights of Las Vegas was the setting for Paz fight against future hall of famer Roberto Duran. Despite being knocked down for only the second time in his career, Paz walked away with a 12 round unanimous decision and the IBC world super middleweight crown.

A win over contender Rafael Williams set up another fight with Duran. This time, Vinny did battle in familiar surroundings - the Atlantic City Convention Center. Pazienza gave the former champion a boxing lesson and easily won a 12 round decision to retain his IBC title.

The second win over Duran set up a shot at IBF world super middleweight champion, and pound for pound the greatest fighter in the world, Roy Jones, Jr. It was not Paz's night from the start. His fight went off an hour late, and by the time he made it to the ring he had used half of his gas tank in preparations. Still, Paz lasted longer than most of Jones's previous challengers, getting stopped in the sixth round.

Many observers thought that was the end of the line for The Pazmanian Devil, again they were wrong. Vinny returned one year later to take on hot young prospect, and New England rival, "Dangerous" Dana Rosenblatt. It was supposed to be WBU world middleweight champion Rosenblatts coming out party on pay-per-view. Instead, it was Paz party as he stopped his undefeated foe in the fourth round to take the WBU world super middleweight championship.

Again, Paz was out of the ring for over a year. Vinny came back on December 6, 1997 to take on former world title challenger and WBC international super middleweight champion Herol Graham in England. Graham, a crafty southpaw, chose to run rather than fight. However, the hometown judges awarded Graham a lopsided unanimous decision, one that Fight Game magazine called one of 1997's top ten worst decisions. In July 1998, Vinny returned to Foxwoods Casino and in front of a sell-out crowd gave an awesome performance that some journalists called the "Fight of the Year" and the "Best Fight Ever at Foxwoods." Vinny went to war with veteran contender Glenwood Brown. Paz found himself on the mat in the third round, but all the knockdown did was motivate Vinny who scorched his slower foe to sweep the remaining rounds. In the end, Vinny had thrown and landed twice as many punches as his opponent.

In his next fight, Paz took on tough Pittsburgh native Arthur Allen, who had just lost a close decision to Dana Rosenblatt in fight where he almost KO'd the young prospect. Vinny took charge of the bout from the beginning, despite suffering from a head cold. He continued his dominance throughout the bout, winning handedly on the scorecards.

Paz followed that win up with a dominating performance over the WBA' #12 rated super middleweight Undra White. Paz controlled the bout from the first bell en route to a ninth round stoppage.

In April 1999, Paz turned in the finest performance of his comeback when he dissected former NABF champion Joseph Kiwanuka en route to a 10 round unanimous decision. A follow up win over tough former world light heavyweight champion Esteban Cervantes set up Vinny's crack at a sixth world championship.

Paz' opponent in the IBO title fight was a very familiar face in Dana Rosenblatt. The two waged a verbal war before the fight and it translated to an action packed world title fight. Paz scored the only knockdown and despite the feeling amongst most ringside observers that Vinny had pulled out the win, the decision went to Rosenblatt. The fight ended up as the highest rated ESPN telecast ever.

After a year away from the ring, where Paz nursed a surgically repaired right hand, Vinny opted to take the toughest route back to the top - by facing the fighter no one wanted to face in former world champion Aaron "Superman" Davis. It was not Paz' night from the start as the ring rust shown through. Paz endured until the eigth round where the doctor stopped the fight due to the numerous cuts Paz had suffered.

Again, Vinny took a little time off. He was rearing and ready to get back in the ring by the summer and made his triumphant return to the ring in July when he crushed former world title challenger "Irish" Pat Lawlor in the second round with a huge left hook to the body. He followed that up with an impressive ten round win over former world champion Tim Shocks and a commanding 10 round win over former NABF title challenger Levan Easley. Those three wins set up a major league showdown between Paz and WBC world champion Eric Lucas. Paz fought an excellent fight against the underrated champion, however in the end his effort was not enough as Lucas won, preventing Paz from gaining his 50th win and his 6th world championship.

Besides being a five-time world champion, Vinny has carried himself well outside the ring. Always quick with a smile, Paz is more than happy to speak with fans and sign autographs, something which has made him a hero in his home state of Rhode Island. Soon, his popularity will transcend boxing. A major motion picture is in the works on Paz' life. Paz has been perfecting his own acting skills. He guest starred on an episode of Police Academy and has taken part in four feature films, including one with Sylvester Stallone.





Steve "2 Pound" Forbes is a former world titleholder. Unlike many other former champions, Steve lost his title not in the ring but on the scales. He has fared well against other world champions, which helps to make him one of the favorites in Season 2 of "The Contender."

The legend of "2 Pound" began with his birth in Portland, Oregon, where he was raised along with one brother and one sister. Steve was born weighing just over two pounds, hence the nickname. He got his inspiration to box when, at the age of 10, he saw a Ring magazine with Evander Holyfield on the cover as the Fighter of the Year. His forays to the local community center, which had a boxing program, began soon after. Steve proved to be a quick study. He was 67-10 as an amateur and was a five-time Washington and Oregon Golden Gloves champion.

When he turned pro, Steve moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he believed he would get exposure and face solid fighters. In his professional debut, he won a four-round unanimous decision over Octavio Suarez (1-0). Steve continued to fight well and ran his record to 14-0 before securing his first shot at a world title.

That fight was for the International Boxing Association's 130-pound championship. On March 11, 2000 in Indio, California, he went up against Alejandro Gonzalez (41-4), who was a former WBC featherweight champion. It was a good match, and the scorecards indicated that it was close. However, the decision went to Gonzalez.

Although disappointed, Steve was not to be deterred. He went on to secure another shot at a world title later that year after winning the United States Boxing Association's junior lightweight title over David Santos (37-3). This time the fight, held in December, was against John "The Eastern Beast" Brown for the vacant International Boxing Federation junior lightweight world title. Brown was a formidable opponent, having already faced former world champions Angel Manfredy, Gabriel Ruelas, Shane Mosley and Diego Corrales. Steve, who trailed for much of the fight, rallied to score an upset victory with a stoppage in the eighth round.

The following year Steve made one successful defense of his title, a mandatory rematch against Brown that set aside any doubts that remained from their last fight. His next scheduled title defense, on August 18, 2002, was a rematch against Santos, who at that time sported a record of 42-4. Steve lost his crown, but not in the ring. He had to give up his title at the weigh-in because he was 2 3/4 pounds overweight. Still, Steve went on to win the fight. He attributed his failure to make weight to a long layoff.

Steve would go on to challenge for two more world titles. In October 2003, he went up against defending champion Carlos Hernandez for the IBF junior lightweight world title he had previously held. Unfortunately two unintentional head butts from Steve cut Carlos over both eyes. That forced the referee to stop the fight in the 10th round and go to the judges. Since Carlos was leading on all three cards at that point, Steve lost by technical decision. It was his first loss after nine straight wins over three years.

On August 7, 2004, he lost a 12-round unanimous decision to WBA super featherweight world champion Yodsanan "3K Battery" Sor Nanthachai. Steve had won his last 8 fights since that fight, including three in “The Contender 2” tournament, before losing a close match for the “Contender” championship against Grady Brewer. He also lost a fight with Demetrius Hopkins, one which many observers felt Steve won. But Steve won in his next bout, against Francisco Bojado.

"2 Pound" now fights at 140 pounds. Steve had trouble making the 130-pound weight limit, but he could not pass up the world title shots that came his way. At 140 pounds, he should have no trouble making weight. This next December marks Steve's 11-year anniversary as a pro.

Steve now resides in Detroit, Michigan, and is married to Valerie, who is currently attending law school in the Motor City.


"The Contender 2" (2006) Highlights

Steve and Grady Brewer (21-11) met for the right to be crowned the champion of "The Contender." Steve started out aggressively, landing several shots. However, he was unable to take control of the fight as the bigger and stronger Grady dictated the pace. Grady made good use of his punches in the early rounds and outworked Steve on the inside and outside. Both fought well, but enough judges thought Grady was better to give him the win by split decision.

Week 10 of "The Contender 2" saw Steve matched up against the bigger and stronger Cornelius "K9" Bundrage (23-1). Cornelius came inside to keep Steve close, holding and hitting him in an attempt to keep him off his game. "K9" utilized this tactic effectively in previous bouts, but this time Steve used it to his advantage. "2 Pound" unleashed several effective combinations and kept his opponent on his toes.

After fighting last in the preliminary round, Steve was right back in the ring for the first quarterfinal bout against Nick Acevedo (16-1) in Episode 8. Both fighters had only three days to prepare for the fight, but what a fight it was! Nick unleashed a barrage of punches in the third round that hurt Steve, but that depleted his energy reserves, leaving Nick with nothing left for the remainder of the fight. The final two rounds saw a more determined Steve landing the better punches, enabling him to pull out a win by split decision.

In Episode 7, Steve fought Freddy Curiel (15-5-2). In what was perhaps the best fight of the show to date, Freddy gutted it out but was overwhelmed by Steve, who proved to be the better and quicker fighter. In a dominating display, "2 Pound" quickly wrested control of the bout and landed shot after shot. At the end, he walked away the winner by unanimous decision.