SERGIO MORA W12 (maj.) VERNON FORREST

It’s funny the thoughts that can run through one’s head when watching boxing.

Before the start of the 154-pound title fight between Vernon Forrest and Sergio Mora, the Showtime commentator Steve Albert, referring to Forrest’s age of 37, made the remark: “We have seen guys get old in one night in this sport.”

I thought to myself: “Oh, dear, has he just inadvertently hexed Forrest?”

It certainly looked like it, because I swear we could see Forrest growing old before our eyes.

After a strong opening three rounds, Forrest just seemed to come to a standstill and Mora began to take over the fight, growing in confidence with each passing round. My only surprise after 12 rounds was that one judge had the fight a draw and another scored it 115-113. It didn’t look like a remotely close fight to me. The Thai judge’s score of 116-112 looked exactly right. Mora knew he’d won, Forrest knew he’d lost.

Mora looked strong and sharp at 154 pounds after moving down from middleweight. His speed and unexpected moves had always been likely to give Forrest problems, but what helped him was that the more experienced champion lapsed into lethargy. Once trainer Buddy McGirt started telling Forrest, between rounds, to “wake up” it was a clear indication that things were going badly.

The way the fight changed after the first three rounds was surprising, even a bit astonishing. Mora was now bullying Forrest, ripping him to the body, befuddling and bothering him. When a right hand over the top rocked Forrest in the sixth round it was a huge confidence-booster for Mora, just the way Timothy Bradley’s confidence had soared after he dropped Junior Witter with a right hand in the sixth round in last month’s 140-pound championship upset.

Mora said afterwards that he gave himself only a C-plus performance, that the best is still to come. It could well be so. Forrest, after uncharacteristic trash talk before the fight, admitted that Mora was the better man on the night.

In his last two fights Mora had, frankly, been unimpressive, while Forrest had looked sharp and vibrant in two successive championship wins. So much of boxing is mental, though, it really is. Mora was motivated and came into the fight prepared to give his all, his mind fully concentrated on the task at hand, while Forrest had a listless look from the fourth round onwards.

Mora had worked hard for the fight, and the hard work paid off. He earned the win and one had to feel happy for him in his moment of triumph. The Contender champ proved to all his critics that he wasn’t a pretender, and if Forrest did indeed grow old overnight, Mora no doubt speeded up the ageing process.