Former two-weight world champion Ricardo Mayorga is enduring tough times in Nicaragua.
The ex-WBA Super/WBC 147lbs and WBC 154lbs title-holder is currently battling drug and alcohol addiction in his native land. Former world champion turned trainer Rosendo Alvarez posted a video of himself with the troubled Mayorga on his Facebook account with concerns growing about the health of ‘El Matador’.
“It is my duty to take you to a [drug] rehabilitation centre,” said Alvarez. “We have been friends since we were 16 years old, colleagues in the team of military boxing, then in the amateur national team and then we become world champions. You are my brother and I cannot abandon you. but this must be a voluntary act in which the initiative is yours.”
An emaciated Mayorga had been seen aimlessly wandering the streets of Managua whilst struggling with his speech. His wife called Alvarez who immediately provided support with the idea of enrolling Mayorga in rehab then flying him to another country (when flights resume) to escape the clutches of old habits.
“The objective is to get him away from drugs, away from his vices and away from bad company,” Alvarez later told EFE.
Mayorga was attacked by a large group of men in January and hospitalised, but later discharged. A larger than life character, Mayorga mixed it with the very best at 147lbs and 154lbs including Vernon Forrest, Felix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley and Fernando Vargas.
Everyone at Boxing Social wishes Ricardo the very best in his return to health and better times.
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Former European welterweight champion Kerman Lejarraga was once considered one of the most exciting talents at 147lbs before he ran into dangerous UK-based Russian David Avanesyan in 2019 and stopped twice in shocking fashion.
His route back to the top continued on Saturday night at Plaza de Toros de Puerto Banus in Marbella with a 10-round decision over former British 140lbs champion Tyrone Nurse in a super-welterweight contest.
Lejarraga (31-2, 24 KOs) fought at a brisk pace and let his hands go while Nurse, who had trouble making the 154lbs limit, adopted a defensive approach, perhaps hoping the Basque favourite would punch himself out.
It was Lejarraga’s third straight win since his Avanesyan nightmare. He may still return to 147lbs. Huddersfield’s Nurse falls to 37-7-2 (7 KOs).
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Last seen losing to Ryan Garcia in a round in February, having pushed Alex Dilmaghani to a draw in November 2019, former IBF title challenger Francisco Fonseca returned to the win column with a first round knockout of Eusebio Osejo (30-24-3 and 1 NC, 8 KOs) at the Nuevo Gimnasio Nicarao in Managua on Saturday night.
Fonseca (26-3-2, 20 KOs) knew too much for his over-matched opponent, prevailing with a wicked right hand to the body that gave Osejo no chance of resuming.
Afterwards, the rejuvenated Nicaraguan namedropped Carl Frampton, Felix Verdejo, Miguel Berchelt, Joseph Diaz, Jamel Herring and compatriot Rene Alvarado as future foes.
Main image: Mary Ann Owen/Zuma Press/PA Images.