By James Slater: Wildman Ricardo Mayorga may be looked at as more of a trash-talking novelty act than a serious contender these days, but the Nicaraguan warrior is still on the lookout for serious money fights. A number of boxing web sites picked up on the fact that the former welterweight and light-middleweight champ revealed on a radio show recently that he is hoping to fight Julio Cesar Chavez Junior next.
Mayorga, who has not fought since losing badly against Miguel Cotto in March of last year, said he would take the fight at a catch-weight; which basically means “El Matador” can no longer make the 160-pound limit (interestingly, it may also be that Chavez Jnr can no longer make middleweight and be effective at the weight; he did, after all, come into the ring at 180-pounds for his win over Marco Antonio Rubio).
It’s by no means certain that Bob Arum would find a Chavez Jr-Mayorga fight an interesting, potential moneymaking match-up, but it could happen. Whoever Chavez Jr fights in Mexico it’s a big deal, and we all know the build-up would be fun! Imagine the things Mayorga, no shrinking violet by any stretch, would say about “The Son Of The Legend!” The trash-talking would almost certainly be more fun that the actual fight, if it were to actually happen, that is.
Mayorga has been recycled more times than most fans care to remember, and many will be sick of him by now. But it might just be that the veteran with the 29-8-1(23) record lands one last payday before his colourful boxing career is finally done. Beaten only by the best, aside from three early-career defeats (Cory Spinks, Felix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley and Cotto), maybe Mayorga will be a fighter whose name Chavez Jr would like to have on his resume?
And, from a sheer curiosity standpoint, a few thousand fans would pay to watch the carnival (sorry, fight).