Ricardo Mayorga vs Michele Piccirillo

Nicaragua’s Ricardo Mayorga won the vacant World Boxing Council super-welterweight championship by a unanimous decision over Michele Piccirillo at the United Center in Chicago on August 13, 2005. Both men weighed the 154-pound division limit. Mayorga entered with a record of 26 wins, five defeats and one draw, while Piccirillo, a former International Boxing Federation welterweight champion, stood at 44-2. The Nicaraguan was attempting to rebuild after losing his welterweight titles to Cory Spinks and then suffering an eighth-round stoppage against Felix Trinidad at middleweight. Piccirillo intended to use much the same mobile, disciplined method that Spinks had previously used to frustrate Mayorga.

Piccirillo began by moving around the perimeter, keeping his hands high and attempting to intercept Mayorga with straight punches. Mayorga followed in his usual irregular fashion, sometimes advancing squarely and carrying his hands low before throwing wide hooks and overhand rights. The Italian was the neater boxer, but he quickly discovered that Mayorga’s awkward timing made him difficult to anticipate. Mayorga was not concerned with matching jabs or constructing formal combinations. He stepped across the distance, swung from unexpected angles and accepted Piccirillo’s counters to land the heavier blow.

The fight changed sharply in the second round. Mayorga broke through Piccirillo’s guard and put him down twice, establishing both his physical strength and his authority over the contest. Piccirillo rose on each occasion and completed the round, but he was forced thereafter to box with greater caution. His effort to remain at long range became less an attacking policy than a means of avoiding Mayorga’s right hand. Mayorga continued to pursue him without refinement, cutting off enough of the ring to prevent the Italian from settling into a comfortable rhythm.

Piccirillo recovered sufficiently to have a good third round, scoring while Mayorga followed and occasionally allowing the Nicaraguan’s lunging attacks to carry him out of position. It was Piccirillo’s clearest period of organised boxing, but it did not alter the physical balance of the match. In the fourth he landed a combination and appeared to invite an exchange. Mayorga stared at him, advanced, and drove a heavy right hand over him, sending Piccirillo down for the third time. The knockdown put the Italian at a severe numerical disadvantage and confirmed that his punches were not discouraging Mayorga from coming forward.

From that point Piccirillo continued bravely but spent most of the contest attempting to outbox a man who would not observe the usual patterns. Mayorga’s attacks were often untidy, yet they came with sufficient weight to make the cleaner but lighter work of the Italian appear secondary. Piccirillo moved, jabbed and countered when openings arose, but Mayorga remained the aggressor and regularly forced him towards the ropes. In the seventh, Mayorga again hurt him with a succession of heavy punches, though Piccirillo held together and survived. The eighth was the best sustained round of the contest, both men abandoning some of their caution and exchanging repeatedly. Piccirillo landed his share, but Mayorga’s blows carried the greater force and made the stronger impression.

The later rounds followed the established course. Piccirillo attempted to maintain distance and collect points with straighter punches, while Mayorga advanced, crowded him and threw the more damaging shots. There were no further knockdowns, but there was little doubt about the decision's destination. Piccirillo’s experience and composure enabled him to finish the 12 rounds, yet he never recovered the ground lost through the three early falls. Mayorga was not required to substantially alter his method. His pressure, durability and unconventional delivery had prevented the Italian from turning the fight into the measured boxing match he wanted.

Judges Anek Hongtongkam and John McCarthy scored the contest 117-108 and 117-110 respectively, while Oren Shellenberger returned a shut-out margin of 120-105. Referee Gerald Scott raised Mayorga’s hand after a victory which gave him a world championship in a second weight division. The widest card allowed Piccirillo no round, but all three totals reflected Mayorga’s clear superiority and the effect of the knockdowns. Piccirillo had shown discipline in lasting the distance and enjoyed isolated moments of success, particularly in the third and eighth rounds, but he could neither command Mayorga with his jab nor earn enough respect with his counters. Mayorga had landed the harder punches, forced the greater part of the action and won without serious dispute.

Mayorga was never a textbook boxer, but he understood how to make tidy fighters uncomfortable. Piccirillo wanted distance, rhythm and clean counters. Mayorga gave him none of it. He marched forward square, threw from odd angles and accepted return fire because he knew his punches carried more authority.

The three knockdowns settled everything. Piccirillo boxed bravely and had moments, but he could not command Mayorga with the jab or discourage him physically. Once Mayorga realised the Italian could not hurt him, the contest became straightforward.

The scorecards were wide, and rightly so. Crude or not, Mayorga imposed himself and thoroughly deserved the title.