In boxing, some things never change. Such is the case with the brash, obnoxious, foul-mouthed, cigarette-smoking fighter from Managua, Nicaragua named Ricardo Mayorga. After a 2-year layoff, the two-division world champion made his return to the ring last December against Michael Walker, shaking off the ring rust and stopping the outgunned opponent in 9 rounds. That one performance has already netted him a March 12th clash with current WBA jr. middleweight champion Miguel Cotto. As the press tour kicked off this week, Mayorga was already up to his old antics, insulting Cotto at every turn while doing one heck of a job at hyping up the showdown. At the latest press conference, held Thursday in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Mayorga took the hype to the next level, shoving Cotto during a posedown as he tried to rip the champion’s belt from his hands. Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that Mayorga can sell a fight as fans will undoubtedly tune in to the $49.95 pay-per-view event to see if he can backup his bravado or if Cotto will shut his mouth the same way that fellow Puerto Rican icon Felix “Tito” Trinidad did over 6 years ago.
