LAS VEGAS, Nevada, 14 July 2003 — Nicaragua’s Ricardo Mayorga retained his World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council welterweight titles here on Saturday with a majority 12-round decision over American Vernon Forrest.
Mayorga, who predicted a second-round knockout, took the fight to Forrest early as he improved to 26-3-1, with 22 victories inside the distance.
The January victory in Temecula, California, gave Mayorga the World Boxing Council title to go with the World Boxing Association he captured with a fifth-round stoppage of then-undefeated Andrew Lewis in March 2002.
“I think I proved the first fight was not a fluke,” Mayorga said.
Mayorga, who hadn’t gone the distance in three years, seemed to be tiring from his blistering pace by the halfway point, and Forrest appeared to be turning the tide before the champion rallied, opening the 10th with a flurry of punches.
US judge Jerry Roth scored the bout a draw at 114-114, but England’s Larry O’Connell scored it 115-114 while Denmarks’ Ove Oveson made it 116-112 for Mayorga.
Forrest suffered his second defeat in 37 fights and abruptly left the ring when the decision was announced.
On the undercard, Zab Judah earned a split decision over DeMarcus Corley, despite fighting from the third-round on with a broken left hand, which he said he suffered when he knocked down Corley with a left to the chin. Judah captured Corley’s lightly regarded World Boxing Organization junior welterweight title. American Vivian Harris retained his World Boxing Association super lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over France’s Souleymane Mbaye.
