https://www.facebook.com/canal6nicaragua/videos/1824530437613320/UzpfSTUxMTU3OTg2MTkxOjEwMTU2MjIwNzEzNjM2MTky/

The WBC medical committee, in conjunction with the WBC affiliated championships committee, rejected the proposal from the WBC Silver championship committee to approve Ricardo Mayorga to contest for the WBC Silver super middleweight championship.

While the WBC applauds the efforts of Mayorga to clean his life with the support of former champion Rosendo Alvarez, and even though Mayorga is reported to have successfully passed all medical examinations determined by the boxing authorities of Nicaragua, the WBC evaluates his boxing activity to be at high risk due to the following:
· Age of the fighter: 44
· Inactivity: He has only fought 8 times since losing his WBC title 11 years ago.
· He has not defeated a fighter with a winning record since 2010.
· His last 5 defeats have been by KO.
· Rating: He is not rated in the WBC, and the ratings committee rejected the proposal to rate him to be eligible to compete for the silver title.
· Weight: His ideal weight was welterweight and he was also champion at super welter. His last fight was at light heavyweight, and the proposed fight is at super middleweight.
The WBC notified the promotion of the WBC decision in due ti

Future Hall-of-Fame Boxer “Sugar” Shane Mosley has more than a fight on his hands on August 29th! Mosley will be debuting his independent promotion company, GoBox, which will rival the top promoters of the business who have cornered the market for decades.

Simultaneously, Mosley will face his dreaded rival Ricardo Mayorga on Saturday, August 29th at the Fabulous Forum in Inglewood, CA.

Ticket Pricing:
Tier 2: $35
Tier 1: $65
Premier: $105
Floor: $205
Ringside: $305
GoBox VIP Premier Package: $1500
Includes: VIP Pre-Party at The Forum Club, Swag Bag, VIP Entrance and Parking, Ringside Seat, Signed Glove, and Meet & Greet after the Main Event.

Remember Mosley vs Mayorga II and IBF Female World Championship Bout between Maureen “The Real Million Dollar Baby” Shea vs Yulihan Luna Avila. It all happens Saturday, August 29th at The Forum and also on PPV.

“Let’s bring real boxing back!” —-Shane Mosley

“I’m coming back to get Mosley like a butcher comes for his pig! He comes for
blood, and so do I.”—–Richard Mayorga
For more information on GoBox promotions, visit www.shanemosley.com

Shane Mosley and His VP of Operations Trista Pisani are extremely disappointed with the recent comments made by WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman. Yesterday the WBC distributed a press release stating that, “The World Boxing Council expresses complete rejection concerning the embarrassing fight simulation between Shane Mosley and Ricardo Mayorga at their press conference yesterday.”

This statement was released in regards to the bad judgment exercised by Mayorga who slapped Ms. Pisani on her back side as their final press conference was ending. The notion that the WBC would comment on this terrible act against a woman (in an executive role no less) without first examining the facts and at the very least picking up a phone and calling Team Mosley to hear their side of the story on the events that took place is very disappointing and frankly is appalling.

Mayorga backtracked and said that he was coerced into this vile act only after he received countless negative comments and reactions from the general public and a stern phone call from Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega.

It appears very obvious that the WBC reacted to Mayorga’s interview with the Nicaraguan press after the phone call from his President in which he was reportedly told that he would lose the support of Ortega if he didn’t immediately clean up his act. This type of irresponsible commentary without one shred of fact checking is alarming. It goes without saying that Mayorga has a history of irrational behavior.

When a woman is potenially violated the WBC has a responsibility to tread more carefully and owes Ms. Pisani an apology.

On Saturday, September 27, 2014, big-name boxing returns to Oklahoma City, as Ivaylo Gotzev and his Epic Sports and Entertainment will proudly present a blockbuster show entitled “Rumble on the River” at OKC Downtown Airpark.

Featured in the dual main events will be the return of a pair of well-known names.

Appearing in separate bouts will be colorful and always entertaining former WBA/WBC Welterweight and former WBC Light Middleweight Champion Ricardo “El Matador” Mayorga (29-8-1, 23 KOs) and hard-hitting former WBC Heavyweight Champion Samuel Peter (34-5, 27 KOs).

Former IBF Light Middleweight champion “Yory Boy” Campas (102-17-3, 79 KOs) will appear in the chief supporting bout.

All three former champions’ opponents will be announced shortly.

Tickets for “Rumble on the River” start at $25 and are available at any Buy For Less location or online at www.airparktickets.com. VIP tables are also available by calling 818.575.0151.

Widely known as “The craziest man in the sport”, Managua, Nicaragua’s Mayorga is a trash-talking street fighter known as much for his habits of smoking and drinking after fights as he is for his tremendous in-ring victories. A pro since 1993, 40-year-old Mayorga has gone to war with nearly every big name in his weight class, including Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Fernando Vargas, Vernon Forrest, Miguel Cotto and Felix Trinidad. It was his two victories over the late Forrest that first brought the Nicaraguan strongman into the national spotlight.

Feared for his devastating punching power, Samuel Peter is on the comeback trail. The 33-year-old is originally from Uyo, Nigeria, but now lives and trains in Las Vegas, Nevada. Peter won his title with a TKO 6 over former champ Oleg Maskaev in 2008. He also holds two victories over all-time-great James “Lights Out” Toney and had heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko on the deck three times in their first encounter. He remains the last person to knock Klitschko down.

Campas is a native of Sonora, Mexico. Also known for his devastating power, he began his professional career in 1987 at the age of 15 and won the world championship by knocking out Raul Marquez. Campas made three successful defenses before losing to the great Fernando Vargas.

A full undercard of local and national favorites will be announced shortly.

“I am very excited to be promoting Rumble on the River,” said Ivaylo Gotzev. “We have a well-rested and recommitted Sam Peter eager to return to the ring in one of the main events, plus Ricardo Mayorga, who always entertains the crowd. And supporting them is one of the best overall boxing events in Oklahoma City history. This show’s combination of legendary champions and top local fighters, along with the powerhouse promotional efforts and collaboration of the OKC Airpark, Howard Pollack, and Epic Sports & Entertainment, give us the maximum potential to capture both live and online audiences. Together, we are forging a new boxing tradition and rising-star showcase in Oklahoma City.”

Gotzev says if both Mayorga and Campas get past their opponents, the two former champs have agreed to face each other next.

“Styles make fights and that one would have ‘barn burner’ written all over it, if and when it happens. It won’t be easy for either man to get past their opponents in September, but if they do, we’ve got a war on our hands for the next event!”

On fight night, doors open at 7 pm and the action starts at 8 pm. OKC Airpark is located at 1701 S. Western Avenue in Oklahoma City. All bouts subject to change.

ABOUT EPIC SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Epic Sports and Entertainment Inc. Founder, Ivaylo Gotzev, has spent the last 22 years working with some of the sport’s biggest names, including all-time-great multiple world champion James Toney, former WBC Lightweight Champion Stevie Johnston, former IBF Cruiserweight Vassiliy Jirov, former WBC Heavyweight Champion Samuel Peter, former WBO Heavyweight Champion Shannon Briggs and current middleweight king Gennady Golovkin.

Gotzev’s vision for Epic Sports and Entertainment is to build a stable of domestic and international fighters in both boxing and MMA and develop major worldwide broadcasting and exposure to Epic events.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Former two-division world champion Ricardo Mayorga has been pulled off a February 21st card in Rhode Island due to a promotional dispute with Don King.

“Your actions constitute a knowing, intentional and unjustified tortious interference with the agreement,” King attorney Cornelius “Carl” Lewis wrote to Burchfield in the letter, which was obtained by ESPN.com. “As such and contracts Mayorga has entered into with or for you are void. My client has not and does not give you permission to negotiate on behalf of Mayorga or engage him, directly or indirectly, in any professional fights. You are hearby noticed to immediately cease and desist your actions and to have no further communication and/or business dealings of any kind on behalf of Mayorga.”

“Don’s got some answering to do in court,” said Mayorga’s manager Ivaylo Gotzev told ESPN.com. “The contract is over, according to the contracts I’ve seen. Now it’s up to the courts to see who is right or wrong. You can’t prey on expired contracts. Ricardo Mayorga never retired. The contract ran out. But everything happens for a reason. It’s time for Don to deal with the repercussions of his actions. Mayorga will continue with his career but Don has caused monetary damages and is stopping this man from working and from making a living to support his family.

“Don doesn’t even promote shows anymore. All he does is kill careers. He signs guys and doesn’t promote fights or fighters anymore. He doesn’t live up to his part of the bargain. He has had many breaches of the contract and yet he still claims Mayorga has a deal with him, even though it expired.”

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Feb. 3rd, 2014) — For at least one night, Twin River Casino will turn into 19th century Spain complete with the crafty matador trying to tame the hard-charging bull.

Sticking to its promise of bringing bigger, bolder main events to its loyal fan base in 2014, Classic Entertainment & Sports will kick off its Twin River Fight Series with an old-fashioned bullfight as former two-time world champion Ricardo “El Matador” Mayorga (29-8-1, 23 KOs) faces Raul “El Toro” Munoz (22-16-1, 16 KOs) in the eight-round super middleweight main event Friday, Feb. 21st, 2014.

Tickets for the event are priced at $41, $101 and $126 (VIP) and can be purchased by calling 401-724-2253/2254, online at www.cesboxing.com or www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Players Club at Twin River. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

The colorful Mayorga, 40, is a former World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion and WBC light middleweight title-holder. He spent the first seven years of his professional career fighting overseas in Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and his native Nicaragua — all 10- and 12-round bouts, which is unprecedented in this era — before making his U.S. debut in 2001 with a knockout win over Elias Cruz in Nevada.

Several months later, now sporting a 22-3-1 record, Mayorga took his first shot at a world title against WBA champion Andrew Lewis, but the fight ended prematurely due to an accidental head-butt. He got another chance the following year and this time stopped the previously-unbeaten Lewis in the fifth round to capture the title.

Six months later, Mayorga stunned the late Vernon Forrest, beating the undefeated WBC welterweight champ by third-round knockout to add another title to his collection. His short-lived reign included a majority decision win over Forrest in the rematch before he lost both titles to Corey Spinks in December of 2003, but Mayorga regained his footing two years later in a new weight class when he beat Michael Piccirillo to capture the vacant WBC light middleweight title, his third world championship.

Mayorga’s latest reign ended abruptly with a knockout loss to the legendary Oscar De La Hoya, but in a remarkable stretch between 2000 and 2006, Mayorga lost just three bouts, all against elite fighters in his weight class (Spinks, Felix Trinidad and De La Hoya), while winning 14 times. He bounced back from the De La Hoya loss with an impressive win over Fernando Vargas before losing to Shane Mosley and Miguel Cotto, the latter in the 12th and final round of their scheduled 12-round world-title bout when Mayorga broke his finger. The Cotto fight was supposed to be his farewell bout, but Mayorga has decided to return for one last run beginning Feb. 21st at Twin River.

Munoz’s resume is a who’s who of boxing, including bouts against Jermain Taylor, Mike Jones, Alfonso Gomez, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Austin Trout, Dmitriy Salita and the late Hector Camacho Sr. The 37-year-old Mexican veteran, born and raised in Topeka, Kan., will be fighting for the first time since October of 2012.

The Feb. 21st undercard features the homecoming of Providence native Toka Kahn (9-0, 6 KOs), a former highly-decorated amateur and now an undefeated super featherweight prospect fighting under the promotional guidance of Bob Arum’s Top Rank Boxing. Kahn will fight in his hometown for the first time since 2012 in a six-round bout.

“The Vermont Bully” Kevin Cobbs (7-1, 2 KOs) will end his year-long layoff in a four-round light heavyweight bout while Pawtucket, R.I., middleweight Thomas Falowo (10-2, 7 KOs) will return for the first time since his loss to Chris Chatman in July of 2012 in a separate six-round bout. The undercard also features the highly-anticipated return of unbeaten Springfield, Mass., welterweight Zack Ramsey (6-0, 3 KOs), who will star in a six-round bout, and the Twin River debut of Louisiana cruiserweight Alvin Vermall (1-0, 1 KO) fighting in a separate four-round bout.

World renowned boxing promoter Don King is thrilled to welcome back his former three time world champion Ricardo “El Matador” Mayorga. Rarely do boxers love to fight the way Ricardo Mayorga does. He always fought with the reckless abandon and fearlessness of a teenager in a street brawl. Mayorga last fought in March 2011 against Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas, Nevada and immediately announced his retirement from the sport. However, growing up in the rough streets of Managua, Nicaragua, instilled a fire in him that still burns to this day and he recently announced that he has decided to return to boxing. With Don King as his exclusive promoter, Mayorga is set on becoming world champion once again.

Who can forget Mayorga’s comments after his shocking 3rd round KO of the late Vernon “The Viper” Forrest to become WBC Welterweight Champion in 2003. The first thing Mayorga said after winning his first title was that he needs a cigarette and a beer!

King is looking forward to meeting with Mayorga in the next few weeks to plan out the return of “El Matador”.

King has already met with his partner Vlad Hrunov to negotiate Mayorga’s fight with Dmitry Chudinov in Russia. “I can’t wait to get the Matador back in action” said King “I love Ricardo Mayorga and I am very happy to see him come out of retirement. I believe he can become the people’s champion again….” “He is one of the most promotable fighters in the world and I look forward with great anticipation on promoting him and the great people of Nicaragua.”

“Viva Nicaragua!!”

Follow all the action LIVE from the MGM Grand as Miguel Cotto defends the WBA Super Welterweight championship and Ricardo Mayorga. There will be a three fight undercard beginning at 9pm est/6pm pac time featuring Yuri Foreman battling Pawel Wolak; IBF Lightweight champion Miguel Vazquez defending against Mandatory challenger Lenny Zappavigna as well as NFL Safety Tommy Zbikowski taking on Rich Bryant

REFRESH BROWSER FOR MINUTE BY MINUTE UPDATES

12 ROUNDS–WBA SUPER WELTERWEIGHT TITLE–MIGUEL COTTO (35-2, 28 KO’S) VS RICARDO MAYORGA (29-7-1, 23 KO’S)

Round 1: Counter left from Cotto…Mayorga chops a right to the head…Big body shot by Cotto…Chopping right from Mayorga…tradong left hooks…good left hook from Cotto…10-9 Cotto

Round 2: Brawl on the ropes huge shots and an uppercut from Mayorga…Good right from Cotto…Jab…Uppercut from Mayorga…Flurry…19-19

Round 3 Cotto lands a left hook..Mayorga lands a right and BEGS COTTO TO FIGHT…Cotto lands 2 body shots…Good right to the chin…29-28 Cotto

Round 4 Mayorga lands a nice right…good body shot…combination…38-38

Round 5 Mayorga showboats and gets caught with body punches and uppercuts…Head shots…2 rights from Mayorga…Wicked exchange that is highlighted by a Cotto left hook..Mayorga lands a chopping right…left hook to the chin by Cotto…48-47 Cotto

Round 6 Cotto left uppercut…Mayorga combo to the body…Cotto lands a jab…counter left and right uppercut…58-56 Cotto

Round 7 Mayorga lands 2 rights…uppercut on inside..right uppercut…Right buckled Cotto….67-66 Cotto

Round 8 Cotto lands a left hook…Cotto counters with the left…Hard jab..Swelling around the right eye of Mayorga…Good combination..Mayorga lands a straight right…77-75 Cotto

Round 9 Left from Mayorga…Cotto jabbing..Mayorga lands a head combo..another combo…Cotto lands a jab…and another…Big uppercut from Mayorga…86-85 Cotto

Round 10 Good jab from Cotto…Great triple jab…another jab…96-94 Cotto

Round 11 Mayorga showboating and mocking Cotto…Good defense from Cotto at the end of the round…106-103 Cotto

ROUND 12 HUGE SHOT AND DOWN GOES MAYORGA…HE TAKES A HUGE JAB AND ASKS REFEREE ROBERT BYRD TO STOP THE FIGHT…MAYORGA MAY HAVE HURT HIS HAND WHEN HE GOT KNOCKDOWN…IT WAS A BIG LEFT HOOK FROM COTTO TO THE HEAD

10 ROUNDS–JR. MIDDLEWEIGHTS–YURI FOREMAN (28-1, 8 KO’S) VS PAWEL WOLAK (28-1, 18 KO’S)

ROUND 1 Wolak stalking…Big right to the head..combination…10-9 Wolak

Round 2 Foreman lands a jab…Wolak lands a right on the ropes…20-18 Wolak

Round 3 Uppercut on inside by Foreman…Good counter..counter right..combination to the head..Wolak gets in a chopping right..good body punches and head from Wolak and another right…30-28 Wolak

Round 4: Wolak landing right..right inside..Foreman 2 body shots…Good right…Right from Wolak..Right hurts Foreman…3 more big rights at the bell…40-37 Wolak

Round 5: Wolak lands a right…Hard rights on the ropes…Foreman lands a right and left uppercut…hard right from Wolak…Left…Foreman lands an uppercut…50-46 Wolak

Round 6: Wolak lands a combinations…Swelling around left eye of Wolak..Big finish from Wolak…60-55 Wolak—FOREMAN QUITS ON THE STOOL

Round 7

4 ROUNDS HEAVYWEIGHTS–TOMMY ZBIKOWSKI (1-0, 1 KO) VS RICH BRYANT (1-2, 1 KO)

ROUND 1 Tommy Z lands a right…Big right…LEFT HOOK DOWN GOES BRYANT AND REFEREE RUSSELL MORA STOPS THE BOUT

12 ROUNDS–IBF LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE–MIGUEL VAZQUEZ (27-3, 12 KO’S) VS LENNY ZAPPAVIGNA (25-0, 17KO’s)

Round 1 Vazquez Jabs…Vazquez lands a right..comb from Vazquez at the bell 10-9 Vazquez

Round 2:Vazquez lands a left hook..Left hook counter..Good jab 20-18 Vazquez

Round 3: Zappavigna lands a big overhand right and left hook…Zappavigna bleeding from left eye..29-28 Vazquez

Round 4: Zappavigna grazing right…38-38

Round 5 Vazquez 1-2; Counter shots…Zappavigna lands a body shot…jab…Zappa lands an overhand right…Zappa starting to bleed bad from right eye….48-47 Vazquez

Round 6 Zappa lands a combination…57-57

Round 7: Trading rights…Vazquez lands a couple jabs…Zappa lands a left…67-66 Vazquez

Round 8: Good jabs and 1-2 from Vazquez..Zappa lands a body punch…good 1-2…combination…body shot at end of round…77-75 Vazquez

Round 9Zappa gets through with a wide left...86-85 Vazquez

Round 10 Blood streaming down the face of Zappa..Zappa lands some uppsercuts on the inside…95-95

Round 11

Photo By Claudia Bocanegra

Ricardo Mayorga did not get the memo as the 10-1 underdog who by most experts opinons was supposed to be fodder, made Miguel Cotto work very hard to earn a twelfth round round knockout to retain the WBA Super Welterweight title in an entertaining scrap at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Cotto was very proficient with his jab and boxing skills as the he was easy to land on the bar brawling Mayorga. Mayorga made it dificult at times for Cotto as some of wild but hard swing got through and even looked like he wobbled Cotto on one occasion. The two engaged in wild exchanges throughout the affair with the challenger giving as good as he received and begged Cotto to fight him in the corner a couple times during the fight.

Cotto was very consistent but had a tough round seven as it seemed like Mayorga was making his last stand and drilled Cotto with a big right in the corner. Cotto got back to jabbing and landing effective body punches over the next few round and it seemed that Mayorga was falling behind on the cards.

In the final round, Cotto and Mayorga both threw huge left hooks with Cotto catching Mayorga flush on the jaw that caused a delayed reaction knockdown scored for Cotto. Mayorga went down holding his hand but got up. Cotto landed a couple of shots and Mayorga just spread his arms out in the corner and summoned referee Robert Byrd fifty-three seconds into round twelve.

Cotto, 154 lbs of Caguas, PR will now look for a summer showdown rematch with Antonio Margarito as Cotto now sports a record of 36-2 with twenty-nine knockouts. Mayorga, 154 lbs of Managua, Nicaragua is now 29-8-1.

“I tried to finish the final round but the pain in my hand was too much,” said Mayorga. “I don’t care about my thumb; I didn’t want it to end like that.”

After the fight, the humble Pride of Puerto Rico complemented his opponent, “[Mayorga] has pretty strong hands and he could beat anyone.”

Mayorga showed a rare bit of respect in return, “As a man, I have to admit when I do well and when I do not. Give Cotto credit,” said Mayorga. “He hits hard and is a great champion.”

Jr. Middleweight Pawel Wolak scored the most significant win of his career by scoring a stoppage victory over former world champion Yuri Foreman after Foreman quit on his stool after round six of their scheduled ten round bout.

Wolak was relentless with his pressure as he continuously drilled Foreman with right hands. Foreman did not handle the all out pressure of Wolak as he landed shots at will. Foreman was not able to box and move like is his nature as Wolak would not let Foreman feel comfortable at all during the eighteen minutes of action.

Wolak, 154 lbs of Mt. Arlington, NJ is now 29-1 with nineteen knockouts. Foreman lost his second in a row and is now 28-2.

“I didn’t feel like myself tonight,” said Foreman. “From the long layoff, I didn’t feel sharp. I felt mushy.”

Baltimore Ravens safety Tommy Zbikowski scored a body punch knockout over Rich Bryant in round one of a scheduled four round Heavyweight bout.

Zbikowski landed a left hook to the chest that sent Bryant down after a delayed reaction. After he got to his feet, referee Russell Mora stopped the fight at 1:45.

Zbikowski, 193 lbs of Chicago is 2-0 with two knockouts. Bryant is 1-3.

Miguel Vazquez retained the IBF Lightweight championship with a twelve round unanimous decision over mandatory contender Lenny Zappavigna.

Vazquez boxed well using an effective jab and occasional right hand. Vazquez opened up cuts over both eyes of the challanger. Zappavigna had a little success when he tried to push the action. Vazquez closed the show by boxing as he did in the early rounds.

Scores were 118-110; 118-110; and 117-111 for Vazquez, 135 lbs of Guadalajara, Mexico and is now 28-3. Zappavigna, 135 lbs of Sydney, AUS is now 25-1.

Middleweight prospect Matt Korobov scored a first round knockout over Michael Walker in a scheduled eight bout.

Korobov landed a perfect straight left that sent Walker down and out.

Korobov of St. Petersburg, FL is 14-0 with nine knockouts. Walker of Chicago is now 19-7-2.

In a competitive Super Bantamweight bout, Jesus Rojas scored a six round unanimous decision over Isaac Hidalgo.

Rojas, 122 lbs of Caguas, PR is now 17-1 after winning by scores of 59-55; 59-55 and 58-56. Hidalgo, 122 lbs of Tuscon, AZ is now 8-7-2.

Heavyweight Eric Molina scored a sixth round knockout over Joseph Rabotte in a scheduled round bout.

Molina dropped Rabotte from a big right in round two and once again in the fifth. Clearly beaten, Rabotte was saved by referee Kenny Bayless in round six after a series of punches.

Molina, 227 lbs of Lifort, TX is now 17-1 with thirteen knockouts. Rabotte, 255 lbs of Myrtle Beach, SC is now 9-16-1.

Lightweight Juan Gonzalez remained undefeated by stopping Jeremy McLaurin in round one in a scheduled eight round bout.

Gonzlaez of Caguas, Puerto Rico is 11-0 with ten knockouts. McLaurin of Coon Rapids, MN is now 8-2.

Photo by Chris Farina/ Top Rank

Miguel Cotto 154 – Ricardo Mayorga 154
(WBA Super Welterweight championship)
Yuri Foreman 155 – Pawel Wolak 154
Tommy Zbikowski 193 – Ricard Bryant 225
Miguel Vazquez 135 – Lenny Zappavigna 135
(IBF Lightweight Championship)

PHOTO BY CLAUDIA BOCANEGRA

Miguel Cotto has always given us many reasons to like him. He provided another one Wednesday in the build-up for his super-welterweight fight Saturday night with noisemaker Ricardo Mayorga.

Cotto refused to indulge in the silly ritual of posing — nose-to-nose, eyeball-to-eyeball, and don’t-dare-blink – for the gallery of cameras at the mid-week news conference at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

Take a bow, Miguel. Boxing needs a lot more of your class, poise and toughness.

There are various reports as to why Cotto said no to a tired piece of theater that would be amusing if it weren’t such a cliché. Mayorga is called crazy by anybody close to him, including his promoter, Don King, who knows something about crazy. Perhaps, Top Rank just told Cotto not to play a role in a scripted scene that could turn into a stupid brawl. Works for me.

But I also suspect that Cotto might be angry, rightfully so, at the homophobic insults that Mayorga always spews at any opponent days before opening bell. This time, Mayorga has joked about how he will beat Cotto into retirement and into a job working for Ricky Martin, the Puerto Rican singer who told Oprah that he’s gay.

“I have spoken to Ricky Martin’s camp and they say they have an opening for him,’’ Mayorga said in a conference call. Mayorga has repeated the insult in different words and an escalating tone, ad nauseam. Surprise, surprise. Trouble is, he did so again Wednesday with Cotto’s mother in the audience. Go ahead and insult Cotto, the quiet gentleman. But be careful of those insults when mom is around.

In declining to join the Mayorga circus, Cotto might have been making a stoic gesture, a signal that he intends to keep the fury bottled and brewing until opening bell. I’m not sure Cotto needs to. Mayorga has natural power, but doesn’t know how to deliver it. To wit: Mayorga has more manners than skill.

“If he has better skills than me, I haven’t seen them,’’ Cotto said in a comment that qualifies as a huge understatement. Before Mayorga’s mouth turned into an open sewer, the bout appeared to be a steppingstone for Cotto in his bid to avenge his stunning loss to Antonio Margarito in 2008.

What’s more, Mayorga-Cotto appeared to be part of a bigger story that includes promoter Bob Arum’s move to Showtime and CBS. There’s also Arum’s old-school partnership with King in an alliance that might finally lead to a Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Maywather Jr. fight.

Then, however, Cotto put an unexpected twist into the plot. In saying no to the posed face-off, it was if he had decided he would not be the straight man for an opponent who talks, talks and talks until he sounds like a fool. Cotto’s cool, stubborn demeanor suggests he is a serious man who doesn’t suffer fools gladly.

The guess here is that he will gladly make a fool suffer Saturday night

Photo by Claudia Bocanegra

Joshua Clottey who was supposed to be part of the Miguel Cotto – Ricardo Mayorga undercard this Saturday in Las Vegas will not make his ring return since his loss to Manny Pacquiao according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

Former welterweight titlist Joshua Clottey suffered ankle and wrist injuries when he fell while doing roadwork, forcing him to withdraw from a fight scheduled for Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“He’s got a fracture or just a real bad sprain of the ankle and the wrist,” manager Vinny Scolpino said. “It says on the report that a fracture is possible to both.”

He was running and then it started to rain and that was it. He tripped in the pothole,” Scolpino said. “As he was falling he put his hands down to catch his fall and whacked his wrist. Unbelievable. What are you gonna do? He was by himself. He called up and we went to pick him up and brought him to the hospital.

“He’s upset. I’m upset. He wants to fight. Now he’s on the couch with crutches and splints.”

“He wants to fight, but he can’t go in there if he’s hurt,” Scolpino said.

Clottey (35-4, 20 KO’s) was scheduled to fight Calvin Green (21-5-1, 13 KO’s)

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, NFL Safety Tommy Zbikowski will appear on the March 12th on Las Vegas as part of the Miguel Cotto – Ricardo Mayorga televised undercard.

“He’s coming back to boxing, assuming there’s a lockout,” Carl Moretti of promoter Top Rank told ESPN.com on Wednesday. “If there’s a lockout, at that point, he’s free to go ahead and fight. He’s fought once already and he probably has the most extensive amateur (boxing) background of any pro football player, and he really loves the sport.”

Zbikowski played college football at Notre Dame from 2003 to 2007. He went by the name “Tommy Z” during the build up to his lone pro fight, coming into the ring to the Notre Dame fight song. He needed just 49 seconds to knock out Robert Bell at Madison Square Garden in New York in June 2006 on the undercard of another Cotto fight — a junior welterweight title defense against Paulie Malignaggi.

15rounds.com Claudia Bocanegra was at Kingsway Gym in New York City to capture the images of Yuri Foreman preparing for his March 12th showdown with Pawel Wolak that will be part of the Miguel Cotto – Ricardo Mayorga Pay Per View card in Las Vegas

It’s never dull when Ricardo Mayorga’s about that’s for sure. For the past decade the Wildman from Nicaragua has enthralled us with all action style and bad guy ways. Now 37, Mayorga 29-7-1(23) may not be a young fighter but he still feels he has a role to play. He firmly believes he’ll KO Miguel Cotto on 12 March in Las Vegas and then get a shot a Manny Pacquiao in what he thinks will be his career defining moment. Mayorga first sprang to prominence beating Andrew Lewis for the WBA Welterweight title, he then stunned Vernon Forrest KO3 to add the WBC title to his collection. He then won a rematch before losing a majority decision for all the marbles against Cory Spinks. He became a two weight world champion when he claimed the WBC laurels beating Michele Piccarillo in 2005. Never one to turn down a challenge Mayorga has fought many of the top fighters of his generation including Felix Trinidad LKO8, Oscar De La Hoya LKO6, Fernando Vargas PTS12 & Shane Mosley LKO12.

Hello Ricardo, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – You have a big fight coming up against Miguel Cotto on 12 March in Las Vegas. What do you think of that fight and Cotto as a fighter?

Ricardo Mayorga – I think that he a punched out old fighter and I’m going to knock him out quickly.

Anson Wainwright – In your last fight your stopped Michael Walker in nine rounds. Can you tell us how you felt after so long out of the ring?

Ricardo Mayorga – I was very strong, I wasn’t in the best shape but I was in good shape and now I’m even better.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us why you had so long out of the ring? You didn’t fight in over 2 years, what happened?

Ricardo Mayorga – I had an automobile accident and I was out for 2 years. I was operated on, I had a minor operation on my back.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your team for this fight, who is your manager, trainer & promoter? Also what gym do you train at in America?

Ricardo Mayorga – My Promoter is Don King, my trainer is Luis Leon and Al Bonami is co-training me. I don’t have a manager, I do that myself. Where training for this fight in Ocala, Fl. at Danny Santiago’s gym called Central Florida Boxing. Danny is still fighting but was a ranked Light Heavyweight & Cruiserweight.

Anson Wainwright – You always seem to make weight with ease, why is this and what is your walk around weight between fights?

Ricardo Mayorga – I’m about 161/162 right now. I never really have trouble with my weight, that’s why I’m always underweight. I’m going to come in 152 when I fight Cotto and I’m going to be eating Puerto Rican beans!

Anson Wainwright – You love to play the villain and regularly try to get under your opponents skin. Is this who you are, can you tell us about your nicer side?

Ricardo Mayorga – I always like to a bad guy like in the movies.

Al Bonanni – I started with him when he came to the United States and we were together until he won the title and then I left because he’s a lot to handle and then I worked with him for Trinidad and left again. As far as a person, I love him, I really like him, he’s a wonderful person. We get along very good, we have no problems. He calls me Papi Gordo which is Far Man! Ha-ha He’s a very nice person to me. I have no problems with him. He has a wonderful personality. I don’t believe the energy he has.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your younger days growing up in Managua did you have a tough time growing up?

Ricardo Mayorga – It was really tough, we were very poor. I always used to fight in the streets and in school. I was always in a fight.

Anson Wainwright – What do you like to do when your not Boxing, what are your hobbies and Interests?

Ricardo Mayorga – Playing Billiards and I like to play cards like poker with family.

Anson Wainwright – What is the proudest moment of your career so far?

Ricardo Mayorga – It still hasn’t come to it, the greatest will be when I beat Pacquiao.

Anson Wainwright – You have fought many of the best fighters of your generation including De Le Hoya, Forrest, Mosley, Vargas, Spinks & Trinidad. Who do you consider the best ?

Ricardo Mayorga – For me De La Hoya.

Anson Wainwright – What would you like to do when your retire from Boxing?

Ricardo Mayorga – I want to put the money I earned in the bank and live on a ranch in Nicaragua.

Anson Wainwright – Are there any up an coming fighters you would like to mention from Nicaragua?

Ricardo Mayorga – Right now there isn’t anyone.

Anson Wainwright – Much has been said about you on wiki-leaks with regards an incident between you and a young lady & your relationship with President Ortega. Could you give us your thoughts?

Ricardo Mayorga – I don’t have any comment on that. I have the president’s respect and he has mine. All that on the Internet is just baloney. The only thing I can say is the president is a just man and he’s a good man and we have a good relationship.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for your fans?

Ricardo Mayorga – Buy the PPV it’s going to be a great fight and I’m going to knock him out in 4 rounds.

Thank you for your Time Ricardo & Al.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

Special thanks Al Bonanni

Relentless Preview – As well as the Cotto-Mayorga main event the Showtime PPV will have several other bouts. Miguel Vazquez 27-3(12) will be defending his IBF Lightweight title for the second time against unbeaten mandatory challenger Lenny Zappavigna 25-0(17). It pits the classic boxer (Vazquez) against the fighter (Zappavigna). We’ll also see the return of both Joshua Clottey 35-4(20) & Yuri Foreman 28-1(8) in seperate Light Middleweight bouts. Clottey hasn’t been seen since his tentative performance against Manny Pacquiao a year ago will be up against Calvin Green 21-5-1(13). While Foreman was last seen 9 months ago when he injured his knee and lost his title to Cotto meets Pawel Wolak 28-1(18). Amateur standout Matt Korobov 13-0(8) see’s action for the first time in 2011 when he meets Michael Walker 19-6-2(12) over 8 rounds. Also scheduled for action Lightweight Juan Gonzalez 10-0(9), Heavyweights Eric Molina 16-1(12) & Tommy Zbikowski 1-0(1), Featherweight Jesus Rojas 16-1(12) & the return of the ever popular Christy Martin 49-5-3(31).

Former WBA Super Welterweight champion Yuri Foreman answers the questions of Claudia Bocanegra about the recent months that has seen highs of welcoming his new son and lows of losing his world title, the death of his manager and recovery from knee surgery. Foreman will take on Pawel Wolak on March 12th underneath Miguel Cotto and Ricardo Mayorga

1. Since your knee surgery and rehabilitation, do you feel physically ready for your upcoming fight?
Yes, I feel good. My knee seems to work good

2. You will be fighting Polish fighter Pawel Wolak. What are you strategies for this fight?
To dance Polka

3. You and Wolak are friends. Is it difficult to fight someone who you are friendly with?
I’m Professional

4. What do you think his strengths and weakness are?
he throws alot of punches. Putting pressure is his strength

5. Depending on the outcome of this fight, how do you feel about a possible rematch with Miguel Cotto?
I would like that

6. I noticed that you are no longer with trainer Joe Grier. Would you like to talk about why the change?
Joe Grier helped me become world champion. he is a great trainer and I will be forever thankful to him. I had lots of changes in the last few months so I am exploring.

7. You’ve had your knee injury, your 1st loss, and the loss of your friend/manager all that came in a short period of time. How were you able to deal with all of this?
The loss of my manager is very tough. He was very close to me like family. I used to call him “Zeide” which means grandpa in Yiddish. In the same time my son was born which brings me happiness.

Thank you for your time.

Part 1/6 Cotto-Mayorga NYC Press Conference 1/19/11

Part 2/6 Cotto-Mayorga NYC Press Conference 1/19/11

Part 3/6 Cotto-Mayorga NYC Press Conference 1/19/11

Part 4/6 Cotto-Mayorga NYC Press Conference 1/19/11

Part 5/6 Cotto-Mayorga NYC Press Conference 1/19/11

Part 6/6 Cotto-Mayorga NYC Press Conference 1/19/11

Legendary promoter Bob Arum talks all things Top Rank which includes Donaire – Montiel; Cotto – Mayorga and Pacquiao – Mosley

Woman’s boxing sensation Christie Martin discusses her upcoming appearance on the Cotto – Mayorga undercard plus an update on the recent incident where she was allegedly shot and stabbed by her husband

Legendary Promoter Don King discusses Cotto – Mayorga as well as Alexander – Bradley

Former two-divison world champion Ricardo Mayorga discusses his March 12 showdown with Miguel Cotto

Miami FL – Undefeated Cuban Olympic heavyweight gold medalist Odlanier “La Sombra” Solis (17-0, 12 KOs) earned the right to face WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko at American Airlines Arena in Miami when he won by disqualification over World Boxing Council No. 1-ranked Ray “The Rainman” Austin (28-5-4, 18 KOs). Solis fought the fight in a defensive come forward counterpunching style that edged the 6’6” Austin. Solis rocked the giant in round five with a brutal uppercut and an onslaught of punches that put him down to the chants of Solis by the Cuban contingency. Austin rose to the count partly due to referee Tommy Kimmons taking a couple extra seconds to direct the excited Solis to the neutral corner. Austin slowly started to fight his way back in the following rounds staying on the outside and landing uppercuts. Then the fight got real excited and bizarre in the 10th round when Austin threw Solis down after an exchange in which he was deducted a point. The two fighters met in the center of the ring, Austin clearly out of gas and threw bombs on each other with Solis getting the better of the two. The fighters tangled up against the ropes with Solis back to the ropes when Austin then leaned on him causing the Cuban to be bent over the top rope with both fighters nearly falling out of the ring over the top rope. Ringside officials tried to hole the two huge fighters back from falling out all the while with Austin holding on to a rope securing the position, in what appeared to be a bid to buy time. When Referee Tommy Kimmons finally got the two giants off of the ropes while the bell rang, Austin then punched the Cuban on the final break prompting the referee to raise Solis hand in victory and awarding him the right to Klitschko. After the fight Austin said “Solis will beat Klitschko, he is accurate and has great defense, if there is any doubt it would be his chin.” Austin was actually winning on one of the cards and tied on another. The official time was 2:59 of the 10th.

Scores at the time of the disqualification:
Judge: Rocky Young, Fla. 94-93 S After 9th: 86-84 Austin
Judge: Ged O’Conner, Fla. 95-93 S After 9th: 85-85
Judge: Mike Ross, Fla. 98-90 S After 9th: 88-82 Solis

Undefeated IBF Light Heavyweight champion Tavoris “Thunder” Cloud 22-0(18KO) looked sharp while defending his strap in a great fight versus the tough and tested iron chinned Colombian Fulgencio Zuniga 24-5(21KO). Cloud controlled the fight with sharp and heavy punches and winning the exchanges but not without taking shots himself. Zuniga had a decent fourth round catching the champ. Zuniga was knocked down in round five with a big right hand and Cloud poured it on to finish the round with Zuniga still standing but on unsteady legs. After taking off round six Cloud answered the bell of round seven by ringing Zuniga’s bell with a brutal right hand that was easily heard in the three hundred section of the Miami Arena. Cloud built on his lead round by round by often staggering the tough Colombian with crushing right hands and double and triple left hooks. Cloud dropped Zuniga in round twelve with a brutal left uppercut but once again the resilient Colombian survived the onslaught of the rugged Floridian Cloud. This was a great fight that left both fighters faces bloodied and beaten. As the final bell rings with both fighters swinging for the fences the great crowd in the Miami Arena went wild. The cards read 116-109 117-108 118-108. Previous to this fight, Cloud faced the stiffest test of his career in his last fight on Aug. 7 in St. Louis against Glen “Road Warrior” Johnson, the former IBF light heavyweight champion and 2004 Fighter of the Year. Cloud won the vacant IBF title from Clinton Woods at the Seminole Hard Rock on Aug. 28, 2009. Woods, always a consummate boxer, had held the IBF crown from 2004 to 2008. He held his own against Cloud, but it wasn’t enough as Cloud won the decision. Zuniga’s most notable wins came against rugged contender Antwun Echols and against a tough Mexican veteran, Jose Luis Zertuche. Zuniga has fought in world championship matches at 154 pounds, 160 pounds and 168 pounds. Last year he moved to the 175-pound limit and has notched two wins.

Former three-time world champion Ricardo “El Matador” Mayorga (29-7-1, 23 KOs) from Managua, Nicaragua, returned to the ring at middleweight to stop Michael “Midnight Stalker” Walker (19-6-2, 12KOs), from Chicago. Mayorga landed huge frequent shots from the opening bell and often fought inside taking unnecessary shots from Walker while maintaining his usual ring play tactics of taunting and playing to the crowd who was entertained by the 37 year old Mayorga. Round five was a good round for Walker and for the fans as the two brawled often and Mayorga inviting walker into the corner just to be met with a barrage of heavy shots. Walker hurt Mayorga in an entertaining round six with a huge overhand right where the Nicaraguan had to hold on to get his senses and feet back, and had momentum. Mayorga came back at the end of the round right after lying on the rope playing to the crowd and opened with heavy shots that dazed Walker. In round 9 Mayorga dropped walker but hit him while he was down and was deducted 2 points. After the deduction Mayorga hurt him with a huge uppercut that back the Chicago fighter into a corner and bombarded him with shot prompting the referee to step in at 1:09 of the ninth round.

The New York State Heavyweight Champion Darrel “King David” Madison 16-1(4KO) won a WBC elimination bout over Mike “The Sunshine State Brawler” Marrone 19-2(14KO). It was a very close first round where Marrone worked his jab well following up with an occasional combination and Madison landed with a couple nice straight lefts. As the fight wore on, it totally favored Madison who was more active and accurate leaving Marrone a bit flat footed, hesitant, and standing right in front of Madison’s punches. Madison, a slick southpaw had no problem hitting Marrone as he could not seem to reach the slick Kind David. Some great jawjacking before the fight proved to be nothing more than smack when Marrone said he was going to rename Madison from “King David” to “Burger King “when in the end… Madison served up a happy meal, as he said he would. Madison won by unanimous decision with the cards reading 100-90 98-92 99-91.

In an exciting female bout Eileen “The Hawaiian Mongoose” Olszewski 7-2-2 retained the WIBA flyweight title and gained the GBU strap with a dominate unanimous decision win over Anastasia Touktalova 13-11(2KO) from Russia fighting out of Tampa. Throughout the bout, Olszewski beat Toktoulova to the punch and counterpunched great often landing nice power shots. Olszewski controlled the center of the ring with sharp punches and when inside used great footwork to quickly get out. During her three year reign in the amateurs, Olszewski dominated the 112 lb. division, with a record of 28-0 (7 TKO’s) in the national level amateur competition and a 3-4 (2 TKO) record at the international level. All three judges 80-72

Undefeated lightweight prospect Angelo “La Cobra” Santana (10-0, 7 KOs), from Cuba and now fighting out of Miami, was impressive while he stopped John David “J.D.” Charles (6-2, 1 KO), from Corpus Christi, Texas in the third round. The official time as 2:59 of round three.

Heavyweight Erkan Teper 3-0(3KO) easily outmatched Donato DeMartiis 2-1(1KO) with a knockout win at 1:49 of round one.

In the first fight of the night on the undercard of Don Kings “A Tribute to Freedom” Cruiserweight Pedro “Machine Gun” Rodriguez 4-0(4KO) stopped Thomas “TJ” Cook 1-1(1KO). Rodriguez overwhelmed Cook at the end of the second with the referee stepping in to stop the bout at 2:59 of the second round.

Post-Fight Ring Quotes

Odlanier Solis: “I wanted to make Austin suffer for the things he said at the press conferences leading up to the fight. I didn’t like it when he said that when he was done with me, they were going to send me back to Cuba. Now I sent him back to Cleveland where all they have are cows.

“I wasn’t tired at all. It was my strategy to fight the way I did tonight. What’s the worst thing that could have happened? I could have knocked him out or made him look ridiculous, which I did.”

At the post-fight press conference: “I don’t think I’m fat. What I would like to do is slap around some of the newspaper writers that say I’m fat.”

Ray Austin: “Solis will beat Vitali Klitschko. He’s accurate and has a good defense. He rests and recovers well, too. The only downside I see might be his chin.

“He showed a lot. I see him being the next WBC heavyweight champion. He’s good.”

Tavoris Cloud: “I got hit with a headbutt in the second round that caused a cut over my left eye, but Zuniga was a tough guy. I knew I had better skills but he came into this fight in good shape.

“I only give my performance a “B” tonight. I will tell you I took this man seriously because I knew he would come to fight.

“I want the winner of Pascal-Hopkins tomorrow night, or Chad Dawson if he ever decides he wants to fight me.”

Fulgencio Zuniga: “Both times I went down were from headbutts. I thought I did enough to win.

“Cloud was a strong guy, a champion and a hard puncher. But I was still proud of my performance.”

Ricardo Mayorga: “I showed tonight that I can still fight. [Michael] Walker thought he had something for me, but the outcome was never in doubt. El Matador is back.”