By P.H. Burbridge (A voice in the crowd) – The WBC Super welterweight champion Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora (21-0-1, 5 KOs) finds himself in a precarious situation these days. It’s a good situation but it also has the potential to turn out bad. REAL bad! A gift from boxing heaven in the form of Oscar De La Hoya has almost dropped squarely into his lap! All he has to do on Saturday, September 13, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas is beat Former two-division World Champion Vernon “The Viper” Forrest (40-3, 29 KOs), AGAIN! Sounds simple but it won’t be because Vernon Forrest will undoubtedly be in much better condition this time around and no one knows that better then Sergio Mora..
Prior to the recent news that Oscar De La Hoya was considering Mora as his final ring opponent I was looking forward to the Mora vs Forrest rematch. Now, that the stakes have been raised beyond my expectations I’m really looking forward to it! The first fight was interesting and it turned out to be a real test of wills with Mora having to dig deep to win the title. Sergio showed some real mental toughness and I was impressed with his determination. He was hungry and he managed to succeed in enough spots to leave as the champion. It wasn’t a stunning performance but he certainly stuck to his guns and saw his plan through. Frankly, it was kind of an ugly fight. One thing that takes a little while to get used to is Sergio switching back and forth between the orthodox and southpaw stance. So, far it’s worked for him but I think one day someone’s going to catch him and he’ll end up taking an unnecessary knockdown because he’s squared up. But, on that night he got away with it and Forrest simply ran out of gas. Vernon seemed intent on testing Sergio’s chin that night rather then going after the body which would have gone a long way to slowing him down. Mora proved his toughness by taking some good shots without losing his composure so Forrest must mix in more body work if he hopes to reverse the outcome in the rematch. Granted, Vernon’s best days are well behind him he’s still a solid professional whose skills allowed him to capture a second world title at an advanced age. This guy knows how to fight! I expect the rematch to be MUCH more interesting then the first one because I think Forrest can make the necessary adjustments to make it more competitive and I also think his conditioning will be much better. Knowing that Mora can fight at a fast pace all night long is something that won’t be lost on Vernon and his team. They’ll be prepared for it and we’ll get a better fight.
Vernon Forrest CAN win this fight!
I’m sure it’s going to be a nerve wracking experience for Mora and his team because they know that he either steps into the spotlight of big time boxing or he becomes a cautionary tale.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Mora and not only does he need to beat Forrest but he needs to do it without sustaining any type of injury. A bad cut and he’s out! A broken hand and he’s out! A torn shoulder muscle and he’s out! A lot of bad things could happen that could eliminate him from the De La Hoya fight. My feeling is that Sergio will be in supreme condition for this fight and will pull through but it will be contested there’s no question about that. If Mora does make it I think he has the style and hand speed to beat De La Hoya. Sergio won’t knock Oscar out he only has 5 KO’s on his record but I do think he’ll beat Oscar up with his holding and hitting and his confusing helter skelter style. If Steve Forbes bruised up Oscar I think Sergio Mora will really alter his appearance. I’m a little surprised Oscar chose Mora because the style doesn’t seem to suit him. Mora is unpredictable and a bit of a wildcard. Oscar may be making a mistake here because if he can’t hurt Mora or keep pace with him then I think he finishes his career with a loss.
A fight between Oscar De La Hoya and Sergio Mora could end up looking a lot like the first Vernon Forrest fight. It won’t be pretty and you might just see Mora out hustle an aging “Golden Boy”!
But, first things first, Mora!
Get rid of Forrest and stay healthy doing it because if you don’t you may never get this close to a WORLD spotlight again!