It'll Only Be Competitive EarlyÅ

It'll Only Be Competitive EarlyÅ By Anthony Tambarella ( IBOPboxing.com ) Saturday July 05, 2003 This Saturday night on Showtime we get to see the greatly anticipated rematch between Ricardo Mayorga and Vernon Forrest. I love rematches because the information you gather in that first outing is so much more valuable than looking at each fighter's record and evaluating their respective opponents. Although one can speculate on both fighters' styles and how they will approach each other, you never really know till they step into the ring. The Line on the first fight between these two Welterweights was Forrest -700 and the total was 10-, over -200, so the take back on the under was +160. My opinion was that Forrest would make quick work of Mayorga but yet to lay -700 was too much, so the play for me was the under. Now I backed into a winner here, the fight didn't go as I expected it would but I still cashed a ticket. However, in the rematch we have a very different line. Forrest is still the favorite at -300 and the total is 9- under -155. If you liked Forrest like I did in the first match but were afraid to lay the big wood, then you've got to love Forrest here at less than half the price. In the first bout, Forrest made an amateur mistake by trying to slug it out with a puncher. Forrest is a boxing technician as seen in his back to back wins over talent-laden Shane Mosley. Mayorga, with not much for boxing tools other than he has above average punching power, somehow made the veteran fight his fight. I've heard a lot of smack talkin' from Mayorga in the past couple of weeks. A lot of talk about another early KO, his prediction is round two. Vernon Forrest on the other hand has been pretty quite. I believe Forrest learned his lesson and will fight the smart fight here and stay on the outside of Mayorga. If Mayorga does get inside, he'll clinch and hold. I see this one going to the cards with a Forrest decision.