FORREST BOXING'S BEST IN 2002.

Byline: MICHAEL ROSENTHAL Boxing

Vernon Forrest had been saying for years that all he needed was a chance to show the world what he could do. He got it in 2002 and left no doubt.

The 1992 Olympian dominated Shane Mosley - recognized by many beforehand as the sport's best fighter pound-for-pound - not once but twice this year to take his place among the best in the sport and become an easy choice as Daily News Fighter of the Year.

Forrest, 31, has been named the year's top fighter by many publications and organizations.

``As the adage goes, to be the man, you have to beat the man, and I beat the man twice,'' he said on a conference call last week to discuss his remarkable year and promote his Jan. 25 fight against hard-punching Ricardo Mayorga in Temecula.

``So, in terms of me being considered fighter of the year, I don't think there's another fighter out there more deserving.''

Few would argue.

Forrest waited almost a decade to get a shot at a world championship in spite of an impeccable resume. And his initial opportunity, a matchup with Raul Frank for the vacant IBF welterweight title in 2000, turned out to be the low point in his career. Frank suffered a cut as the result of an accidental head butt in the third round and the fight was declared a no contest.

As Forrest put it, however, it was ``all gravy'' after that.

Forrest easily outpointed Frank nine months later to win his first championship. That set up his showdown with Mosley, whom he had defeated in the Olympic Trials before the 1992 Barcelona Games.

Few gave Forrest, an 8-1 underdog, much of a chance when the two met Jan. 26 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Forrest had beaten Mosley when they were amateurs, had never lost as a professional and was the natural welterweight. However, Mosley - who had outpointed Oscar De La Hoya and also was undefeated - seemed to be unbeatable.

In the ring, Forrest proved the amateur victory was no fluke. He had Mosley's number, outboxing, outpunching, outdoing Mosley in every way to stun the boxing world by winning a lopsided decision and Mosley's WBC belt.

Then, just in case any doubt remained, he did it again July 7 in Indianapolis to complete one of the most impressive back-to-back sweeps in recent memory.

Finally, after 10-plus years in the game, Forrest had arrived. Now, he's assured both his place in boxing history and more monster paydays that had eluded him his entire career.

``The year was fantastic, the best year of my career,'' Forrest said.

It'll be hard to top it.

Forrest is one of the sport's true good guys and a terrific role model. However, he lacks an exceptional quality - a big knockout punch, a reckless style or unusual charisma - required to become a pay-per-view draw.

And, it appears, he has no one of consequence to fight.

He wants to ``clean out'' the division by first taking Mayorga's WBA title and then beating IBF titleholder Michele Piccirillo to unify the 147-pound titles, which is admirable but hardly attention-grabbing.

His next big fight could come at 154 pounds, where De La Hoya lurks, but there's no guarantee he'll ever lure the sport's biggest nonheavyweight moneymaker into the ring.

No matter what happens, Forrest always will have 2002 - a great year by any standard.

--More Forrest: Forrest has no love for De La Hoya or De La Hoya's promoter, Bob Arum.

Forrest was asked whether he might target WBO belt holder Antonio Margarito, who fights for Arum, and he responded: ``He's with Arum. Bob Arum doesn't like to fight black guys.''

Forrest wasn't making a racially charged comment. He simply was reacting to comments by Arum that Forrest isn't a worthy opponent for De La Hoya because he lacks name recognition.

Then Forrest laid into De La Hoya for trying to organize a 154-pound tournament, with De La Hoya fighting the last man standing.

``He had the audacity to say, `I'm the best fighter. In order for you guys to fight me, I'm going to host a tournament, which my promotional company will promote. And after you win the tournament, then my promotional company will promote my fight with you.'

``Before he does that, he needs to clean his slate with Mosley, which we know he can't do. De La Hoya can't beat slick, black fighters.''

De La Hoya and Mosley have agreed to a rematch Sept. 13, assuming Mosley beats Raul Marquez on Feb. 8.

--Popular sport: Ongoing ESPN Sports Polls indicate what those in the boxing business already know: The sport is more popular than many realize.

Boxing has placed in the top 10 among the most favorite sports every year since the polls, conducted by TNS Intersearch, were instituted in 1994. In the most recent poll, of across-the-board sports fans 12 and older, it trailed the NFL, Major League Baseball, college football, the NBA, figure skating, college basketball and NASCAR but finished ahead of the NHL, golf and tennis.

As many as 50 sports have been included in the poll.

``There's something about this very elemental sport, about two people alone in the ring, something that draws people to boxing and always will,'' said Kathy Duva of Main Events, a major promotional firm.

The ESPN polls reveal other interesting tidbits. Among them:

--38.9 percent of the total population consider themselves fans of boxing. By comparison, 67.3 percent consider themselves fans of the NFL.

--11.2 percent of the total population consider themselves ``avid'' fans of boxing. 27.6 percent are avid fans of the NFL.

--48.4 percent of NFL fans also are fans of boxing. 75.5 percent of NFL fans also are fans of college football.

--82.3 percent of boxing fans also are fans of the NFL. 44.0 percent of boxing fans also are fans of figure skating.

--68.4 percent of boxing fans are male, the highest percentage among major sports.

--60.1 percent of boxing fans are white, 17.6 percent are black and 17.4 percent are Hispanic. Whites comprise 72.5 percent of the total population, blacks 11.9 percent and Hispanics 10.9.

--19.3 percent of boxing fans are between the ages of 25 and 34, the highest percentage of any age group. The same age group comprised 16.9 percent of NFL fans, second highest behind 35-to-44 year olds (18.9).

--24.1 percent of boxing fans earn between $30,000 and $50,000, the highest income group. 22.2 percent of figure-skating fans come from the same group, also the highest in that sport.

--19.2 percent of boxing fans come from the South Atlantic, the highest of any region. The Pacific was second at 17.5 percent.

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Welterweight champion Vernon Forrest shot up boxing's pound-for-pound lists this year with two victories over Shane Mosley.

Jeff Zelevansky/Associated Press