Unbeaten Scott Forrest targets 2025 ring activity following frustrating year
Unbeaten Scottish cruiserweight Scott Forrest (6-0) is targeting a significant increase in ring activity for 2025 following a frustrating 2024 that has seen several fights fall by the wayside for various reasons beyond his control.
Scott had been scheduled to face fellow unbeaten cruiserweight Voldy Toutin on December 7 in Equatorial Guinea until the Frenchman fell foul of anti-doping testing and was consequently given a 14-month ban by anti-doping officials in the lead-up to the contest.
The collapse of the bout with Toutin means that the talented Forrest has only fought once in 2024, claiming a six-round points victory in March against Yury Bykhautsou in Scott’s native Glasgow.
“It has been a very frustrating year,” Scott told Round Eight Boxing. “The number of fights I should have had all fell through for all kinds of reasons. That ranges from shows not going ahead to even having one opponent mix up the fight dates. Some excuses I have been given have been an absolute joke.
“This last fight [vs Toutin] was the fourth or fifth bout that has fallen through. This year has been an absolute nightmare.”
Despite being a free agent, Scott revealed that he had held discussions with multiple parties about his future, including his former manager Sam Kynoch. “I am not signed with anyone , but I am speaking with a number of people who are actively looking for fights and opportunities for me,” Forrest added. “If anything comes up, they will let me know. Originally, I was signed with Sam Kynoch. I still talk to him [Sam], and if he can bring something to the table, then we can discuss it.
Despite the frustrations of 2024, the Scottish cruiserweight has implemented changes to his training regimen and is now based in the Latvian capital of Riga, having linked up with trainer Igor Mesmer.
“I’m based over here [Latvia] now as I have a Latvian partner,” Scott explained. “I was previously based in Liverpool, but I came here initially just for sparring. However, things kept clicking with Igor, and eventually, I made the decision to ask him [Igor] to train me full-time.
“It was the best decision I have ever made. I reached a new level of fitness beyond anything I had experienced before, which reassured me that I had made the right choice in linking up with him.”
Despite the frustrations of the previous year with his career, Scott is aiming for a major increase in his ring activity while explaining his ideal vision for the year ahead.
“I want to be as active as possible next year because this year has been a bad one. There is one thing I thrive on, and that is activity,” Scott emphasised. “Having back-to-back fights is how I improve, so ideally, I would want to have four to five bouts next year and push for some sort of title opportunity somewhere.
“I am willing and ready to fight anyone out there,” Forrest promised.