Mayorga spoils Vargas boxing retirement party

0 Comments | AFP, November, 2007

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Ricardo Mayorga knocked down Fernando Vargas in the first and 11th rounds to capture a majority decision here Friday in a duel of former world champions, sending Vargas to retirement in defeat.

Two judges scored the Nicaraguan fighter a winner by scores of 115-111 and 114-112 while the third saw the bout as a 113-113 draw.

Each man was at the heaviest size of his career in the super-middleweight matchup, but it was the focus and discipline Mayorga showed that surprised Vargas and allowed Mayorga to land knockdown blows late in rounds.

"In training I showed a lot more discipline and I was able to put it into practice," Mayorga said. "The style of fighting he came with, I didn't anticipate it, but I was able to change and come up with it."...