by T.K. Stewart
While the first fight wasn't exactly thrilling, both Sergio Mora and Vernon Forrest are promising they will be better for the rematch. Tickets are going slowly for the September 13th fight card in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden co-featuring Mora vs. Forrest in a rematch for the WBC 154-pound belt and headlined by Joel Casamayor vs. Juan Manuel Marquez for a slice of the lightweight title.
David Itskowitch, COO of Golden Boy Promotions said today on an international conference call with boxing writers that, "Tickets are still available starting at $75.00."
Likely the slow ticket sales can be blamed on the severe downturn of the economy in the United States in general - and Las Vegas in particular. Itskowitch didn't say exactly where ticket sales stood, but he further added that fans should make an effort to see the card whether it be in person or on pay-per-view, "The outcomes of both fights are really in doubt and it really is must see TV," he said.
Meanwhile, during the same conference call, Sergio Mora said, "I feel damn pleased and proud of myself. I'm very pleased with my career and what I've accomplished. God has blessed me and my career."
Mora who has a record of (21-0-1, 5KOs) went on to say that, "I've always had to prove myself and that's what makes me a tougher fighter. There's always going to be people out there trying to convince me otherwise." Mora says that he has to keep his focus and his concentration is on, "Not slipping, not getting caught slipping. I've just got to keep, little by little, changing people's minds."
'The Latin Snake' claims that he is thrilled to be a part of the Golden Boy Promotions card and said, "It's a dream come true. Defending the title on Mexican Independence Day on HBO, is storybook. It's going to be a moment I want to soak up and take advantage of. It doesn't get bigger and better than that. I've got to win and win big. Especially, on this weekend." When I asked Mora if winning the title had made him a better fighter he said it had.
"I'll be honest with you, I feel, for some reason, stronger...maybe it's in the head...a placebo effect. I've been hurting my sparring partners." I also asked Mora, 27, how it was going in his attempt to make 154 pounds for only the second time in his career. "I was very stressed out about it the first time," he said. "I had never fought below 157 before. With the help of Robert Ferguson, I was able to make it pretty easily, actually. This time around I'm a little less stressed."
When Mora was asked what he thought of Forrest's chances he said, "A great fighter always has a great fight in him, left. He's very cagey...I don't really think he's at his end, but we're going to find out. We're all going to find out together." Meanwhile, his opponent, 37 year-old Vernon 'The Viper' Forrest is standing by his story that he was over-trained for the first fight.
"I was just flat," said Forrest. "You see the punches, you see the moves. I couldn't get a bounce, I couldn't get a rhythm. I'm working on my whole game plan. I guarantee you on September 13th I'll get my championship back." I'm looking forward to this fight."
In further explaining his lackluster performance the first time around Forrest said, "You eat your Wheaties and think everyday is going to be a good day. For the first time in my career, I just couldn't pull the trigger. I had no problem with Baldomir or Piccirillo, but I was just flat. I think this fight will be more of a fan pleasing fight because Sergio has got the confidence of a champion and I've also got the confidence of a champion. Now that he's a champion he's going to fight better. I'm going to bring my 'A' game."
When asked if he would be interested in facing the winner of the upcoming Shane Mosley vs. Ricardo Mayorga fight, Forrest said, ""I would definitely be interested in that fight." But when this writer asked how he saw that fight playing out, since he fought both Mosley and Mayorga twice, Forrest didn't want to talk about it.
"That fight is really none of my business," he said. "I could care less who wins." Forrest, who has a record of (40-3, 29KOs), also claims that he's happy to have had the opportunity to have trained in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia for this rematch after having spent much of last year at Buddy McGirt's gym in Vero Beach, Florida.
"I was bored out of my mind in Florida," said Forrest. "Going to the gym everyday became a chore. You get a chance to be at home and be comfortable, I get to sleep in my own bed and eat my own food. Vero is a good place to train, but after a while you can only take so much of Vero."
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