Boxing returns to Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. The main event features an intriguing 154-pound match-up between Vernon Forrest (37–2, 28 KOs) and Ike Quartey (37–2–1, 31 KOs).

Forrest, 35, and Quartey, 36, are former welterweight champions past their prime. The winner will get at least one more big pay-day and another shot at glory. The loser will be in danger of becoming an opponent for young fighters on the rise. But the man with the most to gain on Saturday might be Brooklyn’s Sechew Powell (20–0, 12 KOs) who faces Kassim Ouma (24–2–1, 15 KOs) in the evening’s co-featured bout.

Powell is currently ranked no. 3 in the world at 154 pounds by the International Boxing Federation. Ouma, a former IBF 154-pound champion, is ranked no. 1 by the World Boxing Organization and no. 3 by both the World Boxing Council and IBF. If Sechew wins (and there’s a good chance he will), he’ll be on the short list of credible contenders for a title bout.

Powell is one of many young fighters with top 10 potential now living and training in New York City. The sport has been fueled recently by local promoters like Lou DiBella and Cedric Kushner, who are running shows regularly in the Big Apple. DiBella, in particular, has made local talent the feature of his events.

Boxing insiders say that, in addition to Powell, there are 15 young New York City professionals to watch.

First, there are the fighters who were born and raised in New York:

LUIS COLLAZO (28–2, 12 KOS) — The former World Boxing Association welterweight king lost his title on a close decision to Ricky Hatton in May. But he’s still only 25 years old and is ranked no. 3 by the IBF and no. 6 by the WBC.

PAULIE MALIGNAGGI (25–1, 5 KOS) — Also 25, Malignaggi lost in a heroic effort against WBO 140 pound champion Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden on June 10th. He’ll be back.

CURTIS STEVENS (13–1, 11 KOS) — In his last fight, Stevens was stopped by journeyman Marcos Primera, who had lost his previous five fights. Curtis will have to rededicate himself to the sweet science if he’s going to rise in the 168-pound division.

JEFFREY RESTO (19–2, 13 KOS) — A questionable chin is his Achilles Heel, but Resto is an action fighter with good skills who fights in the 140 to147 pound range.

GARY STARK JR. (16–0, 8 KOS) — Stark is making the transition from clubfight opposition to good-club fight opposition as a 128-pounder. The question is whether he himself will become more than a good club fighter.

JOE GREENE (11–0, 8 KOS) — “Mean Joe,” like several others on the list out of the Starrett City Boxing gym in East New York, is very strong with a good punch and could become a force in the middleweight division.

JORGE TERON (10-0-1, 8 KOS) — Teron has a good amateur pedigree as a three-time New York City Golden Gloves champion. But it’s time he fought a professional fighter with a winning record to show what he can, and can’t, do at 140 pounds.

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There are also some very good outof-towners living and training in New York:

JOHN DUDDY (17–0, 15 KOS) — Now ranked no. 6 in the middleweight division by the WBO and no. 13 by the WBA, Ireland’s John Duddy fights out of Queens. In and out of the ring, he’s one of the most charismatic fighters in the world. He might lose a few down the road, but like Arturo Gatti, Duddy will be bulletproof as far as television executives and his fans are concerned.

JAMES MOORE (8-0, 6 KOS) — Moore, a 154-pounder, followed Duddy from Ireland to New York. He’s a hellacious body-puncher (think Micky Ward) with a future.

DMITRIY SALITA (25-0-1, 14 KOS) — Salita has gained a following as an Orthodox Jew who was born in Odessa, grew up in Brooklyn, and in the words of his amateur trainer, Jimmy O’Pharrow, “looks Russian, prays Jewish, and fights black.” It’s time he stepped up the level of opposition to see if he’s a world class welterweight or just a good club fighter.

YURI FOREMAN (21–0, 8 KOS) — Foreman was born in Belarus and came to America after living in Israel for a decade. Currently ranked no. 12 by the WBC at 154 pounds, he’s at a point where he needs tougher opposition to find out what he can do.

PETER QUILLIN (6–0, 5 KOS) — “Kid Chocolate” is from Grand Rapids, Mich., the home of Floyd Mayweather Jr. He’s raw but tough, with knockout power in both hands. Once he matures as a fighter, he should be a factor at 168 pounds.

EDGAR SANTANA (18–2, 12 KOS) — Born in Puerto Rico but a longtime resident of New York, Santana has rebounded from two early losses to get his career back on track at 140 pounds.

JUAN CABRERA (4–0, 4 KOS) — An import from the Dominican Republic and former gold-medal winner at the Pan Am Games, Cabrera is a hardpunching middleweight with skills and a lot of potential.

JAIDON CODRINGTON (11-1, 10 KOS) — A 168-pounder from Bridgeport, Conn., Codrington was once considered a “can’t-miss” prospect. But a devastating 18-second knockout at the hands of Allan Greene last November has cast a cloud over his future.

Meanwhile, the most promising New York fighter might be 19-year-old Danny Jacobs of Brownsville, who’s still an amateur. Jacobs fights at 165 pounds and is thought by some to be the best amateur in America. His credits include the 2006 USA Boxing National Championship, National Golden Gloves titles in 2004 and 2005, and National PAL titles in 2004 and 2005. His career is currently pointing toward the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Jacobs is known in the gyms as “a black fighter with a Jewish name.”

“I have a lot of Jewish friends,” he says. “They tell me that, when I turn pro, I should tell everyone that my grandfather was Jewish. They say that could mean as much money to me as an Olympic gold medal.”

thauser@nysun.com