Jack Welsh
www.ringsports.com

To no one’s surprise, the first two words Don King uttered in the media recap after Ricardo Mayorga’s rematch victory over Vernon Forrest Saturday in Las Vegas were “Oscar De La Hoya.” Nice work if you can get it and right now in boxing, everybody would like to try.

King, second to none in enterprise, knows the line of candidates trying to reach the mega-bucks WBC/ WBA super welterweight champion seems to get longer with every sunrise.

However, King is now directing one of the sport’s most chrismatic box office lures in Mayorga, so why not throw his hat in the mix and see how far it rolls.

It’s problematical at best since De La Hoya is reportedly looking at 2004 as his Auld Lang Syne to the sport and is currently absorbed in preparing for his “revenge rematch” with Sugar Shane Mosley Sept.13 at the MGM Grand Garden.

Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who handles De La Hoya’s career, is on a short vacation in Italy and is incommunicado. But don’t be surprised if King hasn’t sent his long-time arch-rival “an enthusiastic cable detailing Mayorga’s performance.”

Arum doesn’t have to be reminded how a De La Hoya-Mayorga showdown would capture the imagination of both Hispanics and non-Hispanics. Yet there is no need for a rush to judgment. Arum has plenty if time. Besides the Oscar-Shane sellout, Top Rank’s president also is putting touches on that Oct.4 date where Erik Morales meets Guy Espada at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Even King and Bobby Goodman, his director of boxing, are awed the way the 29-year-old import from Managua, Nicaragua has st ood world boxing on its ear.

“Ricardo is a multi-talented attraction, having grabbed the public with his unique personality and
tremendous punching power. He isn’t exaggerating in declaring there isn’t a welterweight in the world who can beat him”, said the equally-flamboyant impresario.

King has a large eye to get De La Hoya and Mayorga together, perhaps no later than June, 2004.

“No question Oscar is our goal to meet Ricardo, but that doesn’t mean we will wait for him. There is no reason Mayorga can’t fight every other month,” said King.

It was strictly speculation on deadline but Mayorga’s promoter indicated unification bouts might be on the horizon with Cory Spinks, son of former world heavyweight champion Leon Spinks and IBF welter king
with a 30-2, 11 KOs resume, and later with Antonio Margarito, the WBO 147-pound king with a 28-3, 20 Kos log.

King introduced Bernard Hopkins, the only undisputed middleweight champion, during the post-fight media conference. He did not dwell on the possibility the Philadelphian might face Mayorga, but the smiling Hopkins indicated “I would be glad to come down in weight”, with a downward sweep of his hand for emphasis. Mayorga waved from the dais but was not seen talking to Hopkins before adjourning to celebrate his repeat victory over Forrest with his family.

Pro boxing, long noted for repeatedly shooting itself in the foot, has also been viewed by much of the public for its trash-talking personalities. With the explosive advent of Mayorga, the sport now arguably has the greatest cheap artist in its history.

Ricardo loves HBO and HBO adores this quirky champion who was quick to use the cable network to hassle De La Hoya.

According to USA Today, Mayorga continued his march on poor taste, asking HBO “to please produce De La Hoya. My purpose now is De La Hoya. Honestly, I dislike him. I’d like Oscar’s home address from HBO, so I can deliver him guts.”

Few fighters are concerned about Nevada’s licensed bookmakers and neither was Mayorga when Forrest was installed as a minus $2.80 choice. The fiery Latin was a plus $2.40 underdog despite his spectacular three-round TKO over the Georgia gent Jan.25 to win the WBC crown in Temecula, Ca.

“That I’m not the favorite doesn’t bother me. I respect the oddsmakers’ opinions but I have to laugh at the oddsmakers who felt the first fight with Forrest was a fluke,” Mayorha smiled.

In the weeks leading up to the rematch, Forrest, 32, who suffered his first loss, admitted he underrated the acerbic puncher and would not put himself in a position to get t agged by the enemy’s hammer right hand.

It was not an idle boast but the personable Forrest doesn’t equal Mayorga’s power though the superior fighter in all other categories.

Forrest needed the early rounds to adjust to Mayorga’s mix of swarm and lunge. It’s amazing somebody didn’t get a head butt when both adversaries went inside.

Forrest took some good right hands from this verbal tormentor in the first four rounds but he was never close to going down.

Forrest was on the money in rounds seven through 10 and delivered stinging jabs that seemed to put Mayorga in a different neighborhood.

In the post-mortem, Mayorga seemed to bend over backwards in saying “Forrest was at his best tonight” and then erased graciousness by adding, “I knew he was a sissy and he can’t punch hard.”

Much of the print and broadcast media were disenchanted with Forrest when he refused any interviews while training in Vero Beach, Fla. With conditioner Ronnie Shields.

It appeared he might have earned a reprieve when he showed up for the final press conference 48 hours before the first bell.

Forrest’s apology: “I’d like to apologize to Don King and the media for not being acessible. This fight is very important to my career and I didn’t want any kind of distractions.I wanted solitude and focus. Just bear with me, I’m not giving interviews. But I’ll promise you the best fight of your entire life. I guarantee victory. Trust me. I’ll come home a champion.”

Forrest had nothing to be ashamed of in the ring. But when ring announcer Jimmy Lennon told him the other guy had won, the still ex-champ bolted the ring, and the media session. Vernon Forrest foolishly compounded that earlier fracture with journalists by catching a 6 a.m. flight to Augusta, Ga.

By that time, Ricardo Mayorga was probably on his seond case of beer and third pack of cigarettes.