Jack Welsh
www.ringsports.com

Trash-talking Ricardo Mayorga couldn’t deliver a predicted early knockout over ex-champion Vernon Forrest but he did do enough to keep his WBC/ WBA welterweight titles on a majority 12-round decision in the first pro title tripleheader at the new Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

Ironically, the week-long record heat wave that singed Southern Nevada at 117 degrees seemed appropriate for promoter Don King’s super-hyped rematch where Forrest was a surprising plus $2.80 favorite with Nevada’s licensed bookies.

Mayorga and Forrest kept 6,272 spectators acting like a standing room only crowd since it was rarely in its seats and in an ongoing frenzy, when the decision was still debatable going into the 11th round.

The defending champion from Managua, Nicaragua totally dominated the action through the first six rounds and had a four-point lead on two judges’ scorecards after six rounds when Forrest launched a belated rally.

Still, it was never like last Jan.25 in Temecula, Ca., where the explosive Mayorga dropped boxing’s 2002 Fighter of the Year twice enroute to a third-round TKO. It was a stunner that rocketed the comparatively unknown Latin on a barrage of cheat shot abuse that was still in effect in the erratic post-fight recap.

In the judges’ official scoring, Larry O’Connell of London, Eng., had it 115-113 while Ove Oveson from Copenhagen, Denmark saw it 116-112, both for Mayorga. Jerry Roth of Las Vegas, Nv., voted a 114-114 draw. Boxing Flash’s tab was 115-115.

Forrest, showing the smarts that has made him one of the best boxing-punchers in the sport, just didn’t have the power to trade with the ever-forward Mayorga but he began to turn it into a fight with solid combinations to win the seventh, eighth, and ninth rounds on Roth’s tally. It was the same on O’Connell score, plus the 10th.

Had Forrest won the last two rounds on the cards of Roth and O’Connell, the best he could have done was a majority draw. It was highly unlikely but the pride of Atlanta. Ga., would have needed a knock-down in the 11th or 12th rounds for any significant change in any official scoring.

Forrest and trainer Ronnie Shields obviously thought they had avenged the former’s only career loss to Mayorga six months earlier. Awaiting the official scoring, Forrest jumped up on the ring ropes in his corner, a traditional gesture in boxing by the winner.

When ring announcer Jimmy Lennon made it official that ”winner on a majority decision was Mayorga and still champion,” Forrest bolted from the ring and wasn’t seen again unless it at the McCarron International catching a plane back to Atlanta.

Mayorga, who seems to enjoy flexing his considerable biceps between rounds, appeared deeply intense before the first bell. Why not? The irrepressible bomber had told the media in the final press conference he “ would stop Forrest in two rounds and beat him so bad even his dog wouldn’t recognize him when he got home.”

There was a touch of contempt by the former WBC welterweight ruler in the first round. When the scowling Mayorga tried to walk around him, Forrest countered with the same move, making the super hyper adversary miss with a right hand and scored with one of his own. Two judges gave the round to Forrest, the last he would win until the seventh but he did give the seemingly irritated Mayorga a message this exercise would not be a short night.

It’s a good thing referee Jay Nady is 6’3” and weighs 230 pounds. Unofficially, there were 20 clinches over the route with both adversaries equally guilty. Nady warned Forrest for holding in the fourth round, and shook his finger at Mayorga in the third, 10th and 11th rounds for punching behind the head. Just warnings, no penalities.

By nature, Mayorga may find it hard be lauded as a fluid puncher. Swarmer yes, but no Managua legend like Alexis Arguello. Too many of his shots are coming from all points on the compass, and if there was ever a champion using that big right hand like a chopping tool and thrown off balance, Mayorga is that unorthodox hombre.

Perhaps, El Matador’s best flurry of the night came in third round when he caught the agile Forrest with a six-punch salvo and Nady ruled the latter’s escape from harm’s way as a slip. Forrest was side-stepping Mayorga’s next rush at the bell.

When Forrest won the seventh round with double combinations, Mayorga came back to his corner looking like an amigo with a stomach ucler.

The WBC/ WBA titleholder is fortunate in having a veteran in his corner like Hector
Perez out of San Antonio. In so many words, the astute trainer told Mayorga, “ Don’t worry about the knockout, we’ll win this thing over 12 rounds.”

Forrest, despite being short on punching power, made his first mistake with the media by letting Mayorga have a field day with his trash talk and nary a verbal counter. The second was even bigger when he did a Houdini and was a no show in the post-confab, earning $750,000 as his resume dipped to 35-2, 26 KOs.

Mayorga, also collecting $750,000 with his record rising to 25-2-1,1 NC 22, couldn’t have a better time.

“It was a lot difference than thefirst fight. Forrest was able to withstand more punches.
If we didn’t knock him out, i knew i could 12 rounds. Forrest was at his best tonight and I don’t think any fighter can beat me. I didn’t think it would go 12 rounds and I know I could look a lot better if he would have stood there and fought. I would have knocked him out but I was chasing him.’

Judah-Corley:

Zab Judah, making his first start in 366 days, silenced some of his detractors after breaking his left hand early and then going on to take DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley’s WBO junior welterweight title on a 12-round split decision in the semi-windup to the
Ricardo Mayogra-Vernon Forrest main-event televised by HBO.

Judah,140, Brooklyn, N.Y., former IBF junior welterweight champion, was slow to begin as Corley,139.5, Washington, D.C., won the first two rounds in this battle of lefthanders which was hyped in the sport as an authentic grudge match.

In the official scoring, Judah won the attention of Chuck Giampa, Las Vegas., Nv., and Michael Pernick, Miami, Fla., with the identical scores of 115-112. Duane Ford, Las Vegas, Nv., saw it 115-112 for Corley

Judah’s handicap arrived late in the third round when he dropped Corley with a left hook to the jaw, with both boxers going down and referee Joe Cortez ruling it an official knockdown.

The record shows the controversial Judah’s last start was July 13,2002 in Tunica, Ms., where he scored a 10-round decision over Omar Weis, an Argentine transplant.

Ringsiders might consider this matchup as an alternating jab session with Judah wrapping up the title by winnng the11th and 12th rounds to snap Corley’s winning streak at 11 straight since 1999. It was the Capital Hill fighter’s third defense since winning the WBO belt with a one-round TKO of Felix Flores June 30, 2001.

Judah, collecting $100,000, improves to 29-1, 1 NC,21 KOs while Corley picks up $150,000 as his resume dips to 28-2-1, 16 KOs.

Judah was making his first Las Vegas appearance since Nov.3, 2001 when he lost his IBF crown to Kostya Tszyu, going in with the WBC/ WBA 140-pound championship.

Harris--M’Baye:

Vivian Harris, 139.5, Brooklyn, NY., was a going away winner in the first defense of his
WBA super lightweight crown, spoiling the American debut of Souleymane M’Baye,140, Levallious-Perret, France on a unanimous 12-round decision, which was not televised by HBO.

Harris, an import from Guyana, posted the only knockdown of the bout in the second round when he caught the quick Frenchman with a left hook.

Judges Dave Moretti, Las Vegas, Nv., and Paul Thomas, London, Eng.,both saw the action 116-111 while Patricia Jarman-Manning, Las Vegas., NV. voted 117-110, all for Harris.

Harris, picking up $138,750 and improving to 23-1-1, 16 KOs, won the crown Oct.19, 2002 when he chilled Diosbelys Hurtado on a second round TKO in Houston, Tx. M’Baye, having his reord dip to 27-1,18 KOs, had a purse of $40,000.

Prelims:

Pete Frissina, 118, Tarpon Sprins, Fl., registered a 12-round split decision over Jesse Perez, 117.5, Cordova, Colombia

Mario Peskar, 209, Croatia, scored a TKO win over Roman Armstrong, 221, Cortez, Colorado at 1:59 of the first rounds.

Syd Vanderpool, 173, Kitchener, Ont., Can., recorded a TKO over Demetrious Jenkins, 172, Detroit, Mi., at the end of the ninth round.

Kili Madrid, 143, Honolulu, Ha., and Merteze Logan, 139, Covington, Tenn., boxed to a four-round majority draw.