De La Hoya Trashes Mayorga

LAS VEGAS, NV - American Oscar De La Hoya, who took 20 months off from boxing to learn the business side of the sweet science, dominated the brash Ricardo Mayorga to seize the World Boxing Council 154-pound title.

De La Hoya recorded three knockdowns, including two in the final round before the referee Jay Nady stepped in and stopped it at 1:25 of the sixth round on Saturday at the MGM Grand casino.

"This ranks right up there in my top five," De La Hoya said. "Just the fact that he talked so much, even about my wife. The message was I am going to stand up to the bully."

De La Hoya looked impressive in his first fight following the longest layoff of his glorious career.

The fight ended with De La Hoya raining punches down on a helpless Mayorga who he managed to corner on the ropes.

De La Hoya knocked him down for the first time halfway through the opening round with a left hook that was set up by a stinging right hand. The second knockdown also took place with De La Hoya swarming Mayorga near the ropes.

The chain-smoking, tough talking Mayorga (28-6-1, 23 KOs) looked awkward and heavier than he had in his previous title fights. The 33-year-old Nicaraguan fought with his hands low, allowing De La Hoya to score with jabs and a crushing left hook.

De La Hoya (38-4, 30 KOs) last fought in September 2004, when he was dropped by a body shot in losing a ninth-round TKO against then-middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins.

"There was a plan behind taking (the) Mayorga (fight) five months ago," De La Hoya said. "We knew he would talk bad about me and insult me and I needed that."

However, De La Hoya did his talking with his fists.

De La Hoya continued to school Mayorga, knocking him down again in the first two minutes of the sixth round.

De La Hoya had little trouble finding his target as he landed 116 of 264 punches and 48 of 108 jabs. The free-swinging Mayorga landed 58 of 333 punches and just six of 136 jabs.

"He sensed that this is serious business," De La Hoya said.

Mayorga would have been better off making good on his threat earlier in the week to pull out of the fight over a money dispute.

He claimed he signed for two million dollars to lure De La Hoya out of retirement, but expected to get eight million - the same guaranteed purse as De La Hoya - once the fight was made.

However, Mayorga backed off his threats Thursday. Had he pulled out, he likely would have been stripped of his title and face possible suspension.

Mayorga had captured the WBC title with a 12-round decision against Michele Piccirillo last August 13.

Bobby Roy
West Coast Correspondent

Information from other publications and wire services was used in the compilation of this report.