FRES OQUENDO vs JAVIER MORA

THURSDAY MORNING UPDATE: Two-time heavyweight title challenger Fres Oquendo has the second fight of his comeback when he meets the tough and willing Javier Mora in an excellent main event on Fox Sports Network’s “Best Damn Sports Show Period".

This is the sort of fight that helps to give boxing its time-honoured appeal. Oquendo is 33, the more seasoned fighter, considered the superior boxer, trying to get back where he once was; Mora, 24, is the underdog seeking to batter his way into the rankings.

Oquendo (25 wins, three losses, with 16 opponents stopped) has of course faced by far the tougher, more talented opposition and his three losses were all at top level, to David Tua, John Ruiz and Chris Byrd.

The Puerto Rican from Chicago was the first to show the serious flaws in Clifford Etienne when he stopped the then-unbeaten “Black Rhino" in the eighth round in Las Vegas five years ago, flooring his heavily favoured opponent seven times.

Even in his losses, Oquendo was at the very least highly competitive and in with a serious chance of victory.

He was outboxing David Tua before getting caught and overpowered in the ninth, and he was close on the scorecards against John Ruiz before being nailed by a big right hand in the 11th round of their title fight, while many people feel that Oquendo had done enough to beat Chris Byrd in their championship bout.

The problem with Oquendo coming into the fight with Mora is that he was out of the ring for almost two years before resurfacing last February, and he did not look very good in that fight when stopping the Brazilian Daniel Bispo in the 10th and last round. The question is: Has Oquendo peaked as a fighter?

Mora, meanwhile, has only had one fight in world class, which was against Kirk Johnson. Although Mora (20 wins, two losses and a draw, 18 KOs) was very game that night, and definitely hurt the former contender with a right hand, he was losing on the scorecards when Johnson tripped and injured a knee in the seventh round after the younger fighter had inadvertently stepped on his foot.

Still, the very fact that Mora was able to pressure and rock the classier, much more experienced Johnson will, I think, have done a lot for the Los Angeles-area fighter’s confidence: now Mora knows that he can not only hang in there with a world-class fighter but get himself right in the fight.

It is to Mora’s advantage that the Oquendo fight is essentially in his own backyard at Temecula in southern California, and although Kirk Johnson is the only big-name fighter on his record, Mora has sparred many rounds in the gym with James Toney, who is due to be at the ringside.

Mora is never going to be able to outbox Oquendo but if he can crowd the older fighter and back him up he might be able to outpunch and outwork him.

Oquendo is the boxer, Mora the fighter, and a lot of people in boxing will tell you that the boxer usually beats the fighter. Usually, but not always.

Mora’s grit and desire could overcome the Puerto Rican-born boxer’s better technical ability, especially if — as might be the case — Oquendo is no longer the fighter he used to be.

The Goossen Tutor-promoted Mora has a great opportunity here to advance his career to the next level and I get the feeling that he can seize the moment and win this fight on heart and determination, with, in essence, his will overcoming Oquendo’s greater skill.

Thursday morning update: Mora's weight yesterday of 256 pounds concerns me in this fight. He was 232 pounds when he fought well against Kirk Johnson and a knock against Mora in the past has been that he has lacked dedication. Oquendo came in at 220 pounds, a very good weight for him, and he has been working with Freddie Roach in Los Angeles, a sign that he really wants to win this fight. Mora has been training with Joe Goossen, and I was unable to reach Goossen on the phone this morning but normally he is a stickler for discipline in the gym and he engineered Dominick Guinn's well thought-out victory over Audley Harrison in April. Although I picked Mora to pull off the upset, the dynamics are now a little different. I still think he can win but it now looks much more of a long shot.