By James Slater: Nicaraguan wild man Ricardo Mayorga shows no signs of abandoning his habit of calling out big names fighters and talking plenty of trash about them as he does so. Colourful to some people, irritating to others, “El Matador” is never quiet and, to be fair, he does back up his pre-fight boasts as best he can when he climbs into the ring.
As fans know, the 37-year-old announced his retirement soon after losing his last bight fight, against Miguel Cotto. But the former 147 and 154-pound ruler had a quick change of heart, making it clear he wants more big fights yet. Following Mayorga via his Twitter page can be fun, and in some of his latest written entrants the undisputed trash-talk king calls out/insults everyone from Andre Berto to Paulie Malignaggi, to Kermit Cintron to Timothy Bradley.
Seemingly in the hunt for a fight with any of these names, Mayorga seems particularly interested in getting it on with former WBC welterweight champ Berto – a fighter he calls a “Maricon.” Via his Twitter page, Mayorga said he can still make 147 and that, “for the right fight, we can make 147.” Mayorga said of Berto and Malignaggi how he “genuinely hates them, and wants to kill them in the ring.”
Again, Mayorga isn’t to everyone’s taste (in fact to many fans Mayorga has no taste!), and his act has become somewhat tiresome. But more often than not Mayorga is involved in good action fights. Would he do what he says he would if he faced Berto, and “knock him out in one-round?” Not a chance. But the match-up would likely provide some fun if it were made. I’m not sure what kind of a fight it would be if slickster (and occasional trash-talker himself) Malignaggi fought Mayorga, but to be honest I’d watch that match-up too.
Mayorga simply refuses to go away, and even though he has not won a big fight in quite a long time, he continues to aim high. Of course, his need for cash is almost certainly his biggest motivation, but Mayorga can punch, is always dangerous and if matched right he can still perform. As a comeback opponent, Berto could do a lot worse. Needing a high profile win after his recent loss to Victor Ortiz (who really hit the jackpot with that thrilling win, seeing how he landed a date with superstar Floyd Mayweather Junior soon afterwards!), Berto would also get the chance to silence one of his fiercest critics if he hammered Mayorga.
It will be interesting to see who Mayorga, 29-8-1(23) fights next – and he WILL fight again soon no doubt. Bradley has next to no chance of fighting him, seeing as he’s a 140-pounder. While according to Mayorga (so make of it what you will!), Cintron wants no part of him because he hits too hard.
He may not get a date with any of the fighters he has focused his seemingly endless anger on, but it is the fight with Berto that Mayorga really wants. As he wrote on Twitter, “I want Andre Berto like I wanted my wife on our wedding night.”
Is this guy for real, or what!