Was a treat, this Mayorga-Forrest battle of attrition for them WBA/WBC trinkets ... caught the eye as early as the pre-fite ring walk ... missing was the theatrics ... posturing ... simply a look of combatants readying to wage ring war.

And then the opening bell ... as if choreographed, it would be Mayorga in the role of constant pursuer ... and Forrest playing the part of boxer-puncher ... and what we got was twelve stanzas of ring action.

Mayorga did what comes naturally ... fight ... that’s it ... the tough, brawling Managuan tosses everything with bad intentions ... fights ugly is what he does ... also has the chin of a champion to back the skills shortage to the letter.

Forrest earned plaudits on this nite as well ... if Mayorga was the predator, then the Viper was the sniper ... and after surviving some tough early rounds, he had himself a rally or two battling back with eye-catching combinations over stanzas 6-7-8 ... but Vernon could not sustain the momentum shift.

And so, unlike the first meeting, this one went to the scorecards with Mayorga retaining them WBA/WBC baubles by scores of 114-114, 115-114, 116-112.

Post Scripts: Question now is who next for Mayorga with the heavy-fisted unorthodox ring style ... a Michele Piccirillo or Antonio Margarito who hold respective IBF, WBO straps?

Matters not, even if Piccirillo and Margarito sound more like musical instrument and summer drinks ... fact is HBO will make that proverbial hay while the sun shines ... even with the welter division not as stacked as the jr. welters.

Er, anyone for a Mayorga-Forrest III?

Semper fi,

GEL

07-12-03

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