Ricardo Mayorga cuddles up to Manny Pacquiao: 'I think he's great and clean' -- Examiner

By Michael Marley, Examiner.com

To borrow one of Muhammad Ali's most often used wisecracks, Ricardo Mayorga is not as dumb as he looks.

While the uncouth loudmouth from Nicaragua has been badmouthing fine gentleman and March 12 Showtime PPV opponent Miguel Cotto day and night, Mayorga had nothing but high praise for Manny Pacquiao as he visited New York along with co-promoters Don King and Bob Arum last week.

"I have no interest in fighting Floyd Mayweather," the 37 year old Mayorga told me in a relatively quiet corner of BB King's after he had lambasted Cotto on the dais. "I have no interest because he runs away from all his opponents so the fight would stink, the people wouldn't like it."

"I don't care what some people about Pacquiao, I think he is a great fighter. He's like me, he tries to entertain the fans, he is aggressive and he makes good fights."

Mayorga, who was stopped dramatically at the 2:59 mark of the final round by Pacman's May 7 foe Sugar Shane Mosley, takes a 29-7-1, 23 KOs record into his next bout and figures to be a prohibitive underdog against the younger (age 30) Cotto. Cotto's pro mark is 35-2 with 28 KOs.

Mayorga is not deaf, he's heard the persistent whispers and the back alley allegations that Pacquiao's ring achievements may be tainted by illegal drug use, chemical enhancements such as EPO and the like.

But Mayorga does not buy into such scandalous rumors.

"I don't think Pacquiao is using any drugs. I think it's all natural, all his results come from his great training, his conditioning. I think he is a clean athlete."

What with his handler, King, working with archrrival Arum at least on thisne show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Mayorga thinks a victory over the Puerto Rican banger would certainly propel him into a Pacman fight along with a huge payday.
With his gift of gab and overall threatrical flair, maybe even a spirited showing against the sliding Cotto can get him a ticket for the Pacman Lottery.

Mayorga clearly remains hopeful.

And he is smart enough not to trash Manny even while trashing all others.

"It would be a great fight, me against Pacquiao," Mayorga said. "I wouldn't have look for him and he wouldn't have to search for me.

"He'd be right in front of me and I'd be right in front of him."

Mayorga might have to drop his overstated smoking and drinking habits to get svelte, to slim down to 147 pounds but if the money is right, you know he would do it.

In the ring, mixing it up with Megamanny, could he worse than Clottey and Margarito? Methinks no way, Don Jose.

Going back to the frantic finish between Mayorga and Mosley, the scoring was close on two of three scorecards, with one judge having Mosley ahead 105-104 and a second favoring Mosley by the same margin.

HBO judge Harold Lederman saw it wider entering the 12th with a 107-102 tally so I guess the Punching Pharmacist and two of the judges were watching different fights but Mosley made it all academic, dropping Mayorga twice for the KO.

With his 38th birthday looming, Mayorga is a pragmatist away from the microphone.

A Pacquiao fight would make for a nice going into retirement nest egg.

I told you, there is a method to the Mayorga madness.

(mlcmarley@aol.com)

Source: examiner.com