Columnist Jeff Haney: Mayorga turns to Judah to improve defense

Thursday, July 28, 2005 | 9:24 a.m.

Jeff Haney covers boxing for the Las Vegas Sun. Reach him at (702) 259-4041 or haney@lasvegassun.com.

Long known as an offensive-minded power puncher, former world welterweight champion Ricardo Mayorga is adding a new skill to his repertoire, one he has seldom displayed in his impressive yet sometimes tumultuous career.

Defense.

Mayorga, who meets Michele Piccirillo of Italy for the vacant WBC super welterweight championship on Aug. 13 in Chicago, has been working with new trainer Yoel Judah to develop the finer points of his fierce but rugged game.

"Without a doubt, Yoel has taught me a lot of defensive techniques I didn't know before," Mayorga (27-5-1, 23 knockouts) said on a conference call this week from his Miami training camp. "I'm picking up pearls of wisdom from him, and I have nothing bad to say about him, only good."

Judah is the father of undisputed welterweight champion Zab Judah, one of the sport's finest defensive boxers. He said that while Mayorga has all the tools to put together an extended reign as 154-pound champ, a more polished style in the ring would smooth the way.

"There's little moves in boxing that take you to the top," Judah said. "I'm showing him the little moves.

"He's a hell of a puncher and he has always been able to take a punch. Mainly I am working on defense because everything else he's in the ballpark with. Power, speed, movement, aggressiveness -- he's got everything. (But) sometimes he likes to take two or three shots before getting one in."

Though Mayorga is ranked No. 2 by the WBC and Piccirillo No. 3, neither Judah nor Mayorga gives Piccirillo, a former IBF welterweight champ, much of a chance in the fight.

Mayorga and Piccirillo meet in the top undercard bout of a show headlined by a heavyweight fight between Hasim Rahman and Monte Barrett for the interim WBC title. Showtime Pay-Per-View will televise the card from the United Center.

"Just look at his record," Mayorga said of Piccirillo (44-2, 28 Kos). "Basically he is fighting guys that are stepping on grapes to make wine. He has not fought a guy of my caliber and you will see that when I knock him out in two rounds."

Piccirillo, 35, has won his past seven fights, all in Italy, after losing a unanimous decision to Cory Spinks in a 2003 IBF welterweight title bout, also in Italy.

"Ricardo is a strong fighter and we are making a few adjustments with his feet and head movement and his angles -- pivoting and all of that kind of stuff," Judah said. "I don't think Piccirillo will be a problem for him."

Mayorga was last seen by most fight fans sustaining an eighth-round TKO loss to Felix Trinidad last October at Madison Square Garden, an exciting fight in which Mayorga was game but overmatched. In retrospect, Mayorga said, it was probably a mistake stepping up to middleweight to take on Trinidad.

"I took a calculated risk to move up to the middleweight division to see what I had," Mayorga, 31, said. "It was a little too much weight for me but I am not using that as an excuse. I had a bad night and I don't take anything away from Trinidad."

Mayorga was also troubled by issues outside the ring at the time, most notably a rape allegation in his native Nicaragua. Mayorga was vindicated of the charge in December. Mayorga's attorney Tony Gonzalez said this week that he believes an attempt by authorities to reopen the case will not be successful.

Besides his go-for-broke, brawling style of fighting, Mayorga is perhaps best-known for his fondness for drinking beer, and smoking cigarettes and cigars.

Judah, however, said his fighter has been a model student for him ... so far.

"Ricardo is a very receptive guy and he picks up things well," Judah said. "He's a student of the game."

Peter-Klitschko?

After Las Vegas heavyweight contender Samuel Peter's most recent knockout victory, on July 2 against Taurus Sykes in Reno, Peter's promoter Dino Duva issued a challenge for WBC champion Vitali Klitschko to fight Peter this fall.

Klitschko vs. Peter may well happen in September -- but it would be Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali's younger brother, squaring off against Peter, a rising star in the heavyweight division.

Wladimir Klitschko (44-3, 40 KOs) has accepted a more recent challenge from Peter (24-0, 21 KOs) to fight Sept. 24 on HBO, according to a prepared statement from Klitschko's management team.

"Let's do it. I am ready," Klitschko said in the statement.

Peter's manager Ivaylo Ghotzev said Wednesday that negotiations for the fight were still taking place.

"We are very much in the process of negotiating right now," Ghotzev said late Wednesday. "Hopefully by the end of the day we will have a deal. We are trying very hard to make the fight."

The winner of the fight would become the IBF's No. 1 heavyweight contender.

Duva did not immediately return a message left on his cell phone Wednesday.