The Battle of New Orleans: Mayorga prevails

Photo: Roger Williams

By Tom Donelson

13.07 - Forrest began the first round with a sharp left jab and controlled the first round, just as he did in the first fight with that jab. The second round saw a different round as Mayorga tried to make true his prediction of a second round knock out. Mayorga started to bull Forrest in the round and Forrest's mouth appeared open as he gasped for breath. Forrest forgot to jab Mayorga as Mayorga threw punches from all angles and Forrest appeared to be befuddled as he returned to the corner. Twice, Mayorga pushed Forrest to the ground and his only goal was turn this fight into a street fight. No one will ever accuse of Mayorga of being smooth but he does have a game plan. Keep pressuring and throwing punches until the other guy falls. Treat the other fighter as if he is a tree and chop him down.

In the third round, Mayorga appeared to take command of the fight, as Forrest's jab can no longer kept the Nicaraguan off balanced. Mayorga kept pushing the fight, as Forrest's jab no longer had any impact and Mayorga strength started to tell the difference.

In the fourth round, Mayorga played a head game. After dominating the round, Mayorga got smacked with a perfect one-two punch. He just stood there and begged for another and Forrest complied. Mayorga just smiled and asked for more before nailing Forrest with a few clubbing punches. Forrest was feeling the impact of punches that won't even land clean. Mayorga followed the old Rocky Marciano rule of punching, hit anything and everything. If nothing else, Mayorga would hit Forrest on his arms, elbows, back of the head or any other targets, with the idea that Forrest would wear down. Every part of Forrest body was a target.

In the fifth round, Forrest finally stopped Mayorga in his track. With 30-second left in the round, Forrest nailed Mayorga left hook to the body. This was the first time that Mayorga felt Forrest power. While Mayorga won the round, Forrest had his first glimmer of hope. Mayorga won the sixth as he won most of the early rounds by bullying Forrest. Now Forrest only chance was Mayorga penchant for smoking would catch up with the Nicaraguan. Mayorga's fights rarely went the distance whereas Forrest had been the distance against world-class fighters like Mosley. Forrest glimmer of hope started to show up as Mayorga slowed down in the seventh.

Forrest started to climb back in the fight as his jab became accurate and Mayorga for the first time in the fight did not appear to hurt Forrest. Forrest successfully stretched the distance between himself and Mayorga. In the eighth round, drama increased as Mayorga nailed Forrest with right hand and left but Forrest stood his ground and countered with accurate combinations. Both fighters started to trade punches with authority with Forrest throwing the more accurate punches. Forrest now had confidence and a feeling that he weathered the storm and he would eventually triumphed. By the ninth round, Forrest changed the momentum of the fight as Forrest maintained distance against the power punching Nicaraguan. At the end of the ninth, Forrest began to run but did not throw any punches in the last minute. On the other hand, Mayorga was missing widely as Forrest was the technical superior fighter.

In the opening of the tenth round, Mayorga nailed Forrest with left and right and forced Forrest to stand and fight. As Mayorga won the first half of the round, Forrest came back strong in the second half of the round. Both men appeared shaken as they hit each with some very big shots. When Mayorga returned to his corner, his trainer told him, "let's end this shit" whereas Forrest people lectured his fighter, "Hey you let the guy steal the round when you allowed him to charge you in the last 30 seconds."

Championship rounds began as Mayorga brutalized Forrest throughout the eleventh round with chopping right hands and wild left hooks. On two occasions, both fighters nailed each other with right hands but Mayorga got the better of the exchanges. Both corners told their fighter before the final round, "Hey kid, you need this round." Both fighters did not take the final round for granted.

Forrest moved and boxed, looking for big shots and Mayorga applied the pressure, looking for the knock out. Forrest counter punches appeared more accurate but Mayorga was the aggressor throughout the round. The judges gave Forrest the round. Now the twelve rounds ended and the judges held in their hand the decision.

Mayorga won a majority decision and shocked the boxing world by winning a decision. Conventional wisdom was that Mayorga could not win a decision against the more technical superior Vernon Forrest. In some ways, this fight was similar to the first Rocky Marciano-Ezzard Charles fight. That championship fight came down to Rocky Marciano out slugging Charles and dominating the later rounds. The Rock won a decision over the technically superior Charles by outworking him and out slugging him. Mayorga did the same over Forrest.

Mayorga is similar in style to the Rock and this is what makes Mayorga exciting. Mayorga fights a wild style with clubbing punches that wears opponents out. Forrest fought his best fight and he lost. Mayorga won because he kept charging and Forrest could not slow the Nicaraguan down throughout the fight. The fight was close but the difference was Mayorga aggressive nature.

Mayorga is a fun fighter to watch and this is a man who could move up to 154 pound. He is the best welterweight and he certainly is ready to challenge Vargas, Winky Wright or even the slick Oscar De La Hoya and other top fighters in the junior Middleweight division. He has fought three fights against the best of the 147-pound division and won them all. Mayorga has now put himself in position as a fighter who can earn the big money. There is an element of both danger and excitement when this guy fights. Now that Mayorga has conquered the welterweight division, the big money fights are just over horizon.