But if he can’t do it twice against a man ten years his senior, will anyone really care to ask anymore?

Let’s go to the Report Card.

Speed: In the first fight, one would have assumed a speed advantage to Forrest based on his two previous outings against Carlos Baldomir and Michelle Piccirillo.  In both of those fights, Forrest showed a fluidity and consistency missing since his two career-validating wins over Shane Mosley in 2002.  What’s that old saying about assumptions?  The reality of Mora-Forrest I was that the younger man was the quicker man, particularly as the fight wore on.  Forrest had some strong moments behind his long left jab, but in the middle rounds Mora found his way around the stick and moved his hands when Forrest didn’t.  Both on their best day, Forrest retains a speed edge, but these aren’t his best days, forcing Boxing fans to ask if he has one big show left in him.  Based on the existing evidence, Mora has to be seen as holding the speed edge.  Pre-Fight Grades: Mora B+; Forrest B

Power: This category is simple; Mora doesn’t have much.  Forrest will still hold the advantage here.  If he can’t control the quicker, younger Mora from bell to bell, he can attempt to slow the fight down and catch Mora with something he doesn’t see.  While always more cerebral than killer in the ring, Forrest can punch.  He’s the only man to have dropped the iron chinned Mosley.  Myriad shoulder problems though seem to have taken something off Forrest’s fastball.  A difference between Mora and Mosley which plays to Mora’s favor is height; Forrest looked down, way down, on the shorter Mosley but he and Mora stand just about eye to eye, listed at 6’0 apiece (though Forrest looks a smidge taller face to face).  Mora can’t give Forrest room to generate full leverage on shots regardless of where on the ruler his chin is placed.  Pre-Fight Grades: Forrest B; Mora D+

Defense: One of the key’s to victory for Mora in the first fight was his ability to smother Forrest’s best stuff.  Above average foot and head movement don’t hurt either.  Forrest used to be a master at setting a pace in fights so, even if he wasn’t Pernell Whitaker, he could still control the when of an opponent’s offense.  Long arms and the jab that came with it allowed him to block and slip well too because he could see so much of what w as coming.  Mora, in more boring fashion than Ricardo Mayorga in 2003, showed that Forrest is vulnerable inside and a natural slowing of reflexes doesn’t help.  Pre-Fight Grades: Forrest B; Mora B

Intangibles: “Age is just a number” sounds good, but it’s mostly nonsense in sports.  There are exceptions of course but, well, they’re exceptions.  Is Forrest in his lean years?  The calendar suggests he might be; his performance against Mora the first time around makes it hard to think anything else.  Forrest looked slower, and more sluggish, than he ever has and took shots late he would not have in years past.  Whether it really was age catching up, or just a bad night, will be easier to ascertain after the rematch.  For now, we know Mora gained momentum and confidence supplied by the stamina of youth as the first bout developed.  It was an impressive moment for a fighter who seems to do better under pressure than he does when expectations favor him.  If he carries that confidence with him to the ring this Saturday, he’ll already be a step ahead.  Pre-Fight Grades: Mora B+; Forrest B

Overall Report Card: Mora B; Forrest B

The Pick: It’s hard to imagine Forrest performing worse than he did the first time and yet, at the end, he still was justifiably within a round or two of retaining his belt on the cards.  If he fights better this time, then it falls to Mora to keep up.  Can Mora perform at a higher level?  One old Boxing cliché is that a title makes a fighter better, but nothing Mora’s ever done suggests another level beyond what he displayed in June.  Forrest is fighting for his career this weekend; it will make him dangerous…but his age looms so large it’s tough to pick him.  Look for Forrest to gas again in the second half on the way to another narrow Mora decision win on the HBO PPV undercard of Joel Casamayor-Juan Manuel Marquez.

Three Big Fights: This is only the first of three report cards to come this week.  Hey, why not?  All three of this week’s marquee fights are worth the extra look.  Tomorrow means a look at Nate Campbell-Joan Guzman.

Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com