Ricardo Mayorga life and biography

Ricardo Mayorga (born March 10, 1973 in Managua, Nicaragua), is a retired Nicaraguan professional boxer. He is the former WBA/WBC Welterweight champion and the former WBC Junior Middleweight champion.

Son of Eddy Mayorga and Miriam Perez, Ricardo Mayorga was born on October 3, 1973. He began boxing in the amateurs continuing the steps of his brother Jaime, taking advantage of the fact that in the 1980s the sportsmen of high ability could compete in sports and fulfil the Military Obligatory Service.

After a regular stint in amateur boxing, especially fighting for the team of the Army next to boxers like Rosendo Alvarez, Gustavo Herrera and Oscar Dominguez, Mayorga decided to turn professional.

His first professional bout was on, August 29, 1993 in San Jose, Costa Rica, facing the unbeaten Tico prospect Humberto Aranda (3-0). But without much backing and little preparation and because he worked in a night job of the capital, he lacked stamina and was stopped on technical knockout in six rounds.

In 1994 he took part in another three fights in Costa Rica, winning them all, returning to Nicaragua and winning four bouts in 1995. But after a second win over Miguel Angel Perez in December 1995 (Miguel is the older brother of Luis Alberto Perez, the former IBF super flyweight champion), Mayorga retired from boxing for two years.

The difficult economic situation forced him to emigrate to Costa Rica looking for better horizons. But he did not make it in order to box, but to get some economic revenues that allowed him to subsist. Mayorga returned to action in 1998, achieving a victory over German Espinales, always boxing on the local undercards.

Lady luck did not accompany him as he lost decisions to Roger Benito Flores and Henry Castillo, already fighting in Costa Rica under the promotion of Costa Rican manager Efrain Vega Duran, who continued supporting him and guided him down the path of victory, achieving six straight wins until a two round technical draw with Cuban Diosbelys Hurtado. That draw against Hurtado, in November 1999, gave signals that Mayorga was ready for big fights.

Vega continued his backing and in 2000 Mayorga experienced the best year of his career. Fighting in Costa Rica, he achieved seven consecutive victories until he obtained the opportunity to battle with Venezuelan Adolfo Salazar in Turmero, Venezuela, on part of the program "K.O. to Drugs" that the WBA organizes every year. It was there that Mayorga impressed the American promoter Don King, with his one round demolition of Salazar.

In that moment, King and Vega agreed that Mayorga be integrated into the teamwork of the powerful promoter. Ricardo won $10,000 for that fight, plus another $10,000, which King gave him for his surprising victory against a tough rival like the Venezuelan, who was profiled as a promising prospect. Already under the promotion of King, The Matador traveled to Las Vegas in February of 2001, where he liquidated Dominican Republic's Elias Cruz in three rounds.

With this victory, Mayorga was assured a world title fight with the Guyanan Andrew Lewis. History thoroughly details this "no contest" in July of 2001, because of a clash of heads, and the knockout in March of the following year over Lewis to win the welterweight title of the WBA.

Unfortunately, the relationship of Mayorga with Vega was wounded once Ricardo conquered the world title. Without entering in major details, Mayorga said that he did not want to continue under the management of Vega. Vega, on the other hand, stood firm, mainly because he supported him and helped to reconstruct his career. But since there was no solution to the discord, Don King decided to negotiate with Vega so that he would sell him the contract of the new welterweight champion.

King paid $100,000 dollars to Vega for the contract and he named his son Carl King the new manager and after almost one year of inactivity, a fight with Vernon Forrest was negotiated.

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