But don't count on it happening for his next fight, scheduled for Jan. 25.

In a conference call with reporters Tuesday afternoon, the Augusta native said he wants to defend his welterweight championship the day before the Super Bowl in one of three cities: Atlanta, San Diego or Las Vegas.

But the odds for the latter two locations increase when you consider Las Vegas will be a haven for those gambling on the Super Bowl and San Diego is the site for the weeklong event.

"The chances for Atlanta are just as good as any city," Forrest said. "But Vegas is a possibility because of the number of people that would be there, and San Diego is a possibility because of the number of people that would be there."

The opponent also remains up in the air. Although Forrest (38-0) has expressed an interest in moving from welterweight (147 pounds) to junior middleweight (154), his combatant of choice - champion Oscar de la Hoya - is more interested in fighting Shane Mosley, who Forrest has defeated twice in the last year.

"There's no sense of urgency," Forrest said. "I've always pursued my own path with boxing. I'm going to continue to do that. I won't let one fighter impede me with what I'm trying to do."

Instead, Forrest, for the first time in his career, gets to narrow down a list for whom he'd like to fight. Although Forrest and his manager, Charles Watson, declined to discuss specific boxers, the short list probably includes welterweight champions Ricardo Mayorga (24-3-1), Michele Piccirillo (37-1-1) and Antonio Margarito (26-3).

Still, Forrest said he plans on fighting the last three bouts of his HBO contract as a junior middleweight - and at least one will be in Atlanta.

"At one point in my career, I wanted to move up and fight as a junior middleweight, and I was willing to move up to light heavyweight or cruiserweight," Forrest said. "But it took so long to get in the position that I'm in now that I have no desire to get up that high.

"It took me 10 years to get the welterweight belt. The 154-pound weight class is a goal, but only if I can fight the best fighters. I've been a contender for too long. I like being a champion."

Reach Josh Katzowitz at (706) 823-3216 or josh.katzowitz@augustachronicle.com.