MAYORGA WINS REMATCH
WHAT NEXT FOR THE MANAGUA MAULER?

July 18, 2003 - by Ron Borges

The boxing world learned one thing about Ricardo Mayorga during his recent 12-round win over Vernon Forrest. He doesn't smoke as much as we thought he did.

If he did, Mayorga would never have gotten the second wind back in Round 10 that allowed him to swarm Forrest as he had earlier in the fight and convince the former welterweight champion that his brief moments of control in the ring at the Orleans in Las Vegas were just that - momentary illusions. That second surge by Mayorga seemed to cause Forrest to falter at a time when he was getting himself back into a fight he had been losing badly in the early rounds and when he did he allowed Mayorga to become the new face of the welterweight division and, perhaps, soon to be a face facing Oscar De La Hoya.

How soon? Whenever De La Hoya decides, which means not any time sooner than De La Hoya desires.

Mayorga has of course called De La Hoya out already but anything he has to say to De La Hoya will have to be delivered by way of the junior middleweight champion's accountants because that's how he does his business in boxing. As if it's a business.

For now, the business of De La Hoya centers around his Sept. 13 rematch with Sugar Shane Mosley, who does not seem quite as sweet these days as he did when he eeked out a close decision from De La Hoya when both were welterweights like Mayorga. In those days, the 147-pound division was dominated by smooth boxers with speed and elusiveness. Today it is ruled by the wild man of the pampas, if they have any pampas in Nicaragua.

While De La Hoya remains the sport's biggest name and most recognizeable face, Mayorga is the only real name in the welterweight division now that he has twice beaten Forrest and seemingly put the Atlanta-bred former Olympian back into the shadows from which he emerged several years ago with back-to-back upset victories over Mosley.

Mayorga's ascension has been no less shocking. Although people knew he could punch - as proven by his 22 knockouts in 25 victories - his three losses were all the result of his wild style, a style Forrest seemed perfectly suited to solve but was unable to for a reason De La Hoya seemed to clearly understand.

"Mayorga is an animal!'' De La Hoya said last week while relaxing at the Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles before beginning a round of golf in his annual charity tournament. "He doesn't let you fight your game plan. I noticed Vernon seemed overwhelmed at times. When he felt that way he was out of it.

"It's funny but those kind of guys (liker Mayorga) have always seemed the easiest for me to fight. When Forrest jabbed and double jabbed he kept him at bay. But he got overwhelmed (mentally).''

That happened to Forrest early and again late, although many of the middle rounds belonged to him. Why he lost his focus a second time might be difficult for many to understand but De La Hoya is not one of them. He was not aware that Mayorga had thrown more than twice as many punches as Forrest (368 to 183) but he understood more clearly than any statistics could tell him what a fighter in Forrest's shoes feels when a relentless tank like Mayorga is in front of him, constantly winging punches delivered to do maximum damage.

"You feel, 'When will this be over?''' De La Hoya explained. "You start to think, 'If I throw a combination will he get me?' That wears you down if you don't keep control of yourself.''

De La Hoya and Mayorga are two polar opposites in that regard. De La Hoya always seems in control of himself and his environment. Mayorga, on the other hand, does not but then again it seems he couldn't care less about it either, which is part of his intrigue.

Following his majority decision win over Forrest he talked briefly of having held on to the WBA and WBC versions of the title but quickly moved on to the one thing he has no control over, which is his future and it's chance of intersecting with De La Hoya.

"I want to face De La Hoya,'' he said, quite predictably because who doesn't want to face boxing's biggest cash machine? Not for the money. I want to prove that I am the better man. You know he's afraid of me.''

No, actually I don't know that. Nor do I believe it. What I do believe though is that De La Hoya will face Mosley and soon enough grant a rematch to Fernando Vargas long before he turns his thoughts to Mayorga. That is wise on his part and, frankly, good business for Mayorga if he uses the next year to build his reputation by proving that where he comes from there is a right that doesn't exist in the United States.

In his neighborhood, Mayorga seems to always be saying, you have the right to remain violent.

That is what he is selling and promoter Don King knows it. That's why although he's already beating the drum for a move to face De La Hoya, he has made clear to his fighter that the bigger issue for now is to clean up the welterweight division by taking on IBF champion Cory Spinks and then dangerour WBO titleholder Antonio Margarita. What makes the latter fight interesting is that Margarita has about as much self-control in the ring as Mayorga.

Both are frustrated bomber pilots, always looking to drop a payload on their opponent of the moment. Both, for example, knocked Andrew "Six Heads'' Lewis so loopy he thought he had seven heads. Margarita (28-3, 19 KO) proved his mettle in a slugfest with Antonio Diaz as well and seems well positioned to win himself a big payday against Mayorga that could become the precurser to the winner facing De La Hoya in a year or so.

King's plan is for Mayorga to first take the IBF title from Spinks and then unify all the major belts (if any of them are to be considered so) in a showdown with the WBO champion. If put on the undercard of say, a De La Hoya-Vargas rematch on pay-per-view, it would garner a big audience for both men that they had nothing to do with creating but would benefit from greatly.

It would also create for the winner a natural opponent for De La Hoya, who by then will be all but out of them because Bernard Hopkins would be about 102 years old and still pricing himself out of business at that stage of his career. That would leave De La Hoya little reason that is obvious today to move up to 160 pounds (although he could if he wanted to) and a very good reason to take on Mayorga, if he emerges holding four welterweight title belts...and, of course, a cigarette.

In theory, Mayorga could create a terrific stir if he squared off with Vargas (22-2, 20 KO) too but it's unlikely he could get to him before De La Hoya makes his future in boxing null and void sometime next winter. That being the case, The Managua Mauler needs to concentrate on his business in the 147-pound division for a year before he worries too much about Oscar De La Hoya. Wisely, Mayorga has indicated he understands that aspect of his business and so does King.

"The more he's out there, the more he wins the hearts of the people,'' King said after the rematch with Forrest. The men who run HBO Sports understand that as well. which is why Mayorga seems sure to be making return engagements on the network of Oscar De La Hoya until the night he is beaten or until the night De La Hoya decides to try and show Vernon Forrest and the rest of the boxing world that not everybody is overwhelmed simply because someone approaches them with malice a forethought, malice an afterthought and malice without a thought.