A MOUTH-WATERING cruiserweight matchup has emerged from out of nowhere, with Scott Forrest and Gradus Kraus agreeing to collide on less than 48 hours’ notice.
Kraus, 7-0 (7 KOs), was already set to feature on the GMB Sports show tomorrow night, squaring off against an unnamed opponent on the undercard of Ben Crocker vs Sean McComb.
Yet now, it has been confirmed by promoter Izzy Asif that the Dutchman will not only fight at the Park Community Arena, Sheffield, but also enter a career-toughest assignment up at 200lbs.
Up to this point, it is fair to say that Kraus has looked impressive against mostly limited operators, establishing himself as an exciting yet unproven prospect at 175lbs.
Plying his trade under the tutelage of head coach Peter Fury, the 24-year-old will often place particular emphasis on his ring-walks – dancing alongside his young daughter to a familiar tune – before engineering an emphatic display.
Against Forrest, 7-1 (4 KOs), though, anything less than a career-best performance may not quite be enough to get Kraus over the line.
His late-notice opponent is, after all, a former GB boxer who, while having competed in plenty of international tournaments as an amateur, is yet to build on his pedigree in the professional ranks.
A stunning first-round stoppage defeat to Aurel Ignat – a more-than capable customer – arrived in February, which temporarily stalled Forrest’s momentum after he secured an equally destructive second-round finish over Deevorn Miller just under a month earlier.
But now, the 31-year-old has been presented with an opportunity, albeit under somewhat hasty circumstances, to place himself back in the domestic picture at cruiserweight.
Asif announced the fight between Forrest and Kraus via an Instagram story earlier today, claiming that Forrest received the call-up after three opponents lost interest in the eight-rounder.
