Boxing News: Can Mayorga Walk the Walk?

MANAGUA, Nicaragua—One could dismiss as idle chatter the nonstop tirades made by World Boxing Council 154-pound champion Ricardo “El Matador” Mayorga against “The Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya at media tour stops in Beverly Hills, Houston, Chicago and New York last week promoting their May 6 meeting at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, but a check of the record indicates Mayorga often backs up his trash talk with wins.

In his last eight appearances the Nicaraguan bomber faced five reigning world champions, two former world champions and a world-ranked fighter. His opponents had a combined record of 244-9-3 going into those contests, and Mayorga emerged with five wins, two losses and one match that was ruled no contest.

The chronology reveals Mayorga KO’d reigning WBA welterweight champion Andrew “Six Heads” Lewis to win his first world title in 2002; knocked out reigning 2002 Fighter of the Year and then-WBC welterweight champion Vernon “Viper” Forrest—and decisioned him in an immediate rematch—both in 2003; lost a controversial majority decision (after suffering two questionable point deductions) against IBF welterweight champion Cory “The Next Generation” Spinks in late 2003; knocked down three-time world champion Felix “Tito” Trinidad in a spectacular fight before losing by technical knockout in 2004; and, in his last outing, knocked down former IBF welterweight champion Michelle Piccirillo three times in the first four rounds on Aug. 13, cruising to a unanimous decision win for the vacant WBC super welterweight championship.

This also created a lineage test that would make the Marquis of Queensberry proud. Mosley, then undefeated, beat De La Hoya in 2000 (and again in a rematch in 2003). The still-undefeated Mosley lost two consecutive matches to Forrest in 2002. The then-undefeated Forrest was beaten twice in succession by Mayorga in 2003. Therefore, Mayorga “beat the man who beat the man who beat the man”—and all of them defeated their opponents twice.

Tickets for De La Hoya vs. Mayorga, aka “Danger Zone,” are priced at $1250, $950, $750, $350 and $150 are on sale at the MGM Grand Garden Arena box office and are also available at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (Tower Records/WOW!, Smith’s Food and Drug Centers, Robinsons-May stores and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000. Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

The De La Hoya vs. Mayorga pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT  on May 6 has a suggested retail price of $49.95, will be distributed domestically by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 56 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in high-definition television for those viewers who are HDTV capable. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For your daily De La Hoya vs. Mayorga fight week updates, log onto www.HBOPPV.com.