By Miguel Rivera
Before a crowd of three thousand people in Managua on Saturday night, former world champion Ricardo 'Matador' Mayorga (31-9-1, 25 KOs) will return to the ring after 19 months of inactivity.
And his main goal, according to the lead promoter of the event, is to get his hands on Mexico's Antonio Margarito (40-8, 27 KOs).
Rosendo 'Búfalo' Alvarez, the former champion who will promote Mayorga's return, said Ricardo's bout with Mexican Jaudiel Zepeda, who has a record of 12-17-1 mark and 9 knockouts, will take place at the light heavyweight limit of 175.
Mayorga has apparently sold out the venue and looks at the fight as a quick tuneup to get his reflexes back in order.
"Ricardo Mayorga is a showman, he has already sold all the tickets," said Alvarez to ESPN Deportes. "His return to boxing is for two reasons, to earn money and to secure a fight with Antonio Margarito who is a brave ex-world champion but never had the courage to face Mayorga."
Mayorga had to undergo a number of medical exams to be allowed to fight on Saturday at the Discotec Shaman Bar in Managua.
"He (Ricardo) needs to earn money to help his children and family.He passed all the tests demanded by the Nicaraguan Boxing Commission.The objective is to do three continuous fights depending on the result of April 1 bout and maybe later he can go with Luis Ramón 'Yori Boy' Campas and after two fights we could make an offer to Margarito," Alvarez.
Mayorga was a World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association welterweight champion between 2002 and 2003. He was crowned again but in 2005 in the super welterweight division for the WBC but lost the belt in 2006 against Oscar de la Hoya. He then fought with Fernando Vargas, Shane Mosley and Miguel Cotto; However, he didn't have a fight from 2011 to 2013 and that is where he lost the rhythm that he had.
Margarito, who fought twice in 2016, still has no return date in 2017 although it had been said initially that he could fight in early April.
