Why did Forrest struggle with Mayorga

I think because Mayorga suprised Forrest the first time and then when rematched Forrest was too cautious because Mayorga had hurt him in the first fight and Vernon was too worried about that.
Sometimes its those wild looping shots that get you because you dont expect someone to throw those type shots.
Its a shame because Forrest was such an outstanding boxer and could punch too that people sleep on him alot.
People often fail to realize it took Vernon SEVEN years to get his first world title fight which is crazy.
Credit to Shane because he would fight anybody and not many people wanted to tangle with Vernon.Hell he also fought Winky when nobody wanted to so Shane is very underrated in that he fought everybody in a time when most boxers take the easier way.

p

 

Good examples of the old boxer beats puncher, pressure fighter beats boxer and puncher beats pressure fighter, theory.

Forrest was a a fast, tall rangy boxer, who primarily throws to be ready to move as soon as his shot lands, rather than sitting on his punches, he outboxed the shorter, less rangy, Mosley, who was also fast, but who was a puncher and typically puts a bit more into each shot.

Mayorga was an iron chinned pressure fighter, with underated skills on the inside, heavy hands and great stamina, who is happy to walk through shots to land his own, difficult for Forrest when he doesn't have the power to keep Mayorga off of him.

Mayorga was made to order for even a past prime Mosley. If your game plan was to walk through shots, you're in trouble against Shane.

 

Vernon Forrest was an outstanding amateur before going pro but even back in those days he was known of as a guy that didn't like pressure. Mayorga simply was winging shots and backing Forrest up which took away Vernon's range and leverage. Forrest always liked to dictate the space and pace but Mayorga's wild style kept him from setting his feet. Quartey brought the pressure a more traditional way and backed Vernon up with his jab and strength. Too bad the judges blew that decision.

 

Mayorga was good. He destroyed Six Heads and basically treated Spinks like Forrest in the rematch, but it was scored against him due to fouls.

 

I haven't watched the first fight since it happened so this is all memory based and my memory is shot so...
As I recall it Forest was trying to time Mayorga coming in and, to punch hard, he feet were wide, very far apart. That is a huge mistake.
You don't punch harder that way unless you have enough room to turn your hips through the punch. When a guy is pressing forward he takes the room away from you and you end up punching with just your arms and shoulders. You aren't going to hold your own in an exchange like that, much less slow down or discourage a guy like Mayorga was then.
Plus, when he gets in close you are compromised because your ability to move is diminished until you get your feet back under your shoulders.

 

Styles make fights, another great example is Hearns vs Barkley.
Almost a carbon copy of the problems Forrest had with Mayorga.

 

Not really in the way I'm speaking of. Shane was an amazing combination puncher that liked to fight at mid range. Vernon's length and jab really broke his rhythm.

Mayorga and Quartey made him back up.

 

He wasn't the "take 3 to land 2", relentless, close the distance pressure fighter that Mayorga was, but rather he tried to hit, and hit hard, from range.

 

Some KO's stay with you in your memory ... when Tony Sibson wrecked John Collins on national TV it was shocking and brutal .. when Boza Edwards destroyed Johnny Verderosa it felt the same ... the way Mayorga beat down an very very good Forrest felt like those .. it was like watching a monster movie .. this bad ass bad guy out of nowhere just materialized and crushed the guy that decisively defeated a top pound for pound guy of the moment in Mosley .. then beat him up again in a fight Forrest was resigned to surviving after he saw he could not over power Mayorga .. it's even more puzzling when you realize Forrest was a much better fighter and saw how Spinks, Oscar, Tito and Mosely beat Vargas down ... strange how match ups play out.

 

Oddly, after steamrolling Vernon in their first fight in early 2003, Mayorga didn’t score another KO win until 2010 … and never knocked out another fighter of note whatsoever.

 

It had to be a styles matchup. First time he was caught by surprise, second time never made the proper adjustments. Sometimes I think it can be just one thing you are doing wrong over and over that is not being corrected. What's weird is after that, Mayorga became a joke fighter and everyone started beating him. Yet a fine fighter like Forrest could not. Even Mosley who Forrest beat twice kicked the hell out of Mayorga.

Mayorga threw those looping wide shots that sometimes can get home on a straight up fighter.

 

Styles make fights

 

The first time he just got clipped in round 1. Wanted to match firepower with Mayorga in round 2 to prove a point, then ended up getting clipped again in round 3. He shouldn't have tried to bang with Mayorga, that was dumb. No one was really ready for Mayorga's type of style as he wasn't a very well known commodity. The second fight (which I feel he won), he fought too cautiously to sway those particular judges.