Memories of a lifetime
As a sports fan there are moments that we all cherish. Our beloved team winning the Superbowl or World Series but as a boxing fan there is no Superbowl just specific fights that will always bring back memories. At times not all memories are always good, any Pacquiao fan seeing him face down less than a year ago is probably still pretty hard to swallow and that some the sense of loss may never lessen.
For every fight fan that had the privilege to be at the first Castillo-Corrales fight live there will never be a more dramatic fight they will ever attended live in their lifetime.
Over the past decade I have had the opportunity to attend my fair share of fights. While all were not memorable or great there are others that as I get older the fights and the memories never fade.
New kid on the block
10 years ago this month for me was one of those memories.
Ricardo Mayorga vs Vernon Forrest 2.
In January of 2003 Mayorga had just shocked the boxing world as he knocked out the newly crowned welterweight champion Vernon Forrest; who in 2002 beat “Sugar” Shane Mosley in back to back fights to gain the welterweight strap that Mosley had won from beating Oscar De La Hoya in 2000.
Mayorga prior to the Forrest fight was relatively an unknown to a majority of boxing fans. A wild, untamed, crazy SOB. His biggest win was against up and coming prospect Andrew “Six heads” Lewis. However, on January 25th, 2003, boxing fans got introduced to “El Matador” as he entered the biggest fight of his career against a fighter many were considering a top 5 P4P. Mayorga would stop Forrest in 3 rounds.
As the rematch was announced my brother and I knew we had to see Mayorga in person, he was such a character. He reminded me of Prince Naseem Hamed, with his brash attitude, confidence inside the ring and for his unorthodox routine of cigarets and booze, to sum up Mayorga in one word-Loco. He was not overboard in the hype department (at least not at this particular time) but was entertaining, so when we found out that the fight was going to be at the newly opened Orleans Arena in Las Vegas we jumped on the phone to grab tickets as soon as they were available.
We grabbed three tickets. My brother and I and one for our Dad.
Everything happens for a reason.
Was still attending College at the time when my Dad called and told me that he was giving his ticket to a friend of his.
Indio. Now, I knew Indio from a far. He lived in the same neighborhood I grew up, knew his nephews and people he was close to but never knew him other than the guy who won a car in one of those endurance challenges (who could keep their hand on the car the longest wins)
Lifelong fight fan
Indio had been diagnosed with Cancer.
Like many of the friends and people my dad knew, most were boxing fans and Indio happened to be one as well. It just turned out that he had never made it to a big fight and with time seemingly not on his side it was one of those things he always wanted to do.
After I knew that Indio would be coming rather than my Dad, it was part excitement and worry. I wanted to make it as memorable as possible but also was aware that his body may not be up for the triple digit heat and walking around Vegas that we most likely would be doing.
My Brother and I picked Indio up early Friday morning the day before the fight. Indio was outside already waiting for us, cooler packed with Budweiser and ready to go. He was in great spirits, excited and ready for a night of fights and whatever else may have come from the Vegas trip.
So there we are loading Indio up in my Dads Mazda pickup with blankets and pillows in the back cab for Indio to relax and enjoy himself for the ride ahead. However, he was in no mood to relax, he was ready to go, chatting with my Brother and I the whole way to Vegas, talking about how he won the car, how he got the nickname Indio and fights of time before my brother and I. It was a 9-10 hour drive from Colorado but with the banter and endless stories we were able to share, some car rides just seem to fly by. This was one of them.
Hot time summer in the city
We arrive in Las Vegas on one of the hottest day of the year. 115 degrees.
After the 9 hour trip we get to Vegas, hot, tired but ready to party. Indio informs us that he needs to do his treatments and for us to go ahead and get the tickets for the fight the following night. The tickets were at will call so my brother and I head over to the Orleans arena to grab out tickets and to see if we can see any fighters.
We stumble upon the weigh-in about to be opened to the public and realized that we got there at the right time. We get seats close to the front of the tiny theater at the Orleans. Were sitting right behind the man you never see but always hear, Harold Lederman., we introduce ourselves, tell him that out father is on the phone and that he is a big fan of his, Lederman graciously talks to our Dad on the phone for a minute. After the brief conversation, I realize that I forgot my camera, I make a b-line to the first gift shop I can find, drop 15 dollars on a disposable camera and start heading back to the arena. I see Bernard “the executioner” Hopkins, he’s walking through with just a bodyguard and no one else sees him. He stops to take a picture with me at the dismay of his guard and even stays for a brief chat, his legs were far skinner than I thought.
Back at the weigh-in Zab Judah and his posse are making their way in the theater as he is set to face DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley. Judah’s crew is call Corley “pork chop”. After Judah and Corley leave the stage the main weigh-in is upon us. Mayorga and his posse walk from the back of the theater up to the stage, belt in hand; Mayorga loving every minute of it. Mayorga gets on the scale and he is eating a piece of chicken. Apparently smoking and drinking wasn’t enough. He takes pictures and hangs out in front of the stage for a few minutes. His knuckles were far larger than I thought. We meet Doug Fisher of Maxboxing.com at the time and converse with him before we head back to out hotel to see how Indio is doing.
We get back to the hotel and Indio is up and ready. We tell him about catching the weigh-in and he is in disbelief he missed it but given the circumstances we all know his treatments were more important.
Friday night ends with all three of us getting dinner at 1am…among other things.
CHA-CHING
While my brother and I were trying to sleep off the Friday night events, Indio was up finishing up another treatment and winning on his favorite slot. By the time we stop by Indio’s room, he’s in great spirits. Although the lady who didn’t win next to him at his slot was none too pleased, Indio was ready. In his words “drinks are on me all day!”
Fight Night
After battling the heat once again all day, fight night is upon us. Mayorga-Forrest. While the heat of Vegas seemed to takes it’s toll on Indio during the day, as well as myself, yet just as most of us fight fans get pumped heading to a live fight, that night was no different. Indio, my brother and I caught a second wind.
As we arrive at the Orleans arena we head directly over to the sports book to check the odds on the fight. Forrest was favored. While Indio and my brother were convinced Mayorga was the way to go, I was not as sure. However after a brief conversation I go in and we put $200 on Mayorga.
At this point, the arena, the fight, the crowd and most of all the time my brother and I got to spend with Indio will stay close to my heart. Indio’s straw hat with the “El Matador” headband he had will always stay with me. How alive and excited Indio was the whole weekend. If it hadn’t been for the treatments he had to do everyday, I would not have known he had cancer, he never showed any ill effects of what was going on in his body.
Mayorga won by a majority decision. We split the winnings, chatting in line at the 
sportsbook with other winners from the fight. Indio beaming with delight as he tells me “I told you so.” We hang around the casino catching fighters hanging out as well. It was one of those nights you didn’t want to end. Leaving meant the weekend was coming to a close. While it was not said, we all knew the weekend was something special.
As the yeas have passed the meaning and the weekend mean even more to me now. I had the opportunity to spend a weekend with a dying mans wish. It wasn’t a last wish but a wish that he was able to get to do. That means a lot to me now. Sometimes we take for granted the opportunities we have, going to a fight for some isn’t a big deal. Yet for others going to just one meant everything for that one weekend. Maybe Indio was able to forget about his cancer and any other issues he had and I think that weekend he did. He didn’t have worry about his health; he just enjoyed himself and that I know for certain.
All good things must come to an end
After that weekend, I never really got a chance to see Indio again. He passed away that fall (2003)
While I was back in school, I received the news driving to Denver on a Saturday morning, I shed a tear that morning. We may have not been the best of friends or even acquaintance yet that one weekend we spent driving to Las Vegas, having the time of our lives in Vegas and all the way back home. That one weekend all 72 hours or so we were the best of friends.
And it was because of boxing. The sport many of us love to hate. It brought us together and we enjoyed every minute of it that in my heart will last a lifetime.
This July marks ten years since that fight. It certainly does not seem as if a decade has gone by, yet it has. Hundreds of fights have passed since Mayorga-Forrest. Sadly, Vernon Forrest is no longer with us as well. No matter, this fight was be an all time favorite and while the second fight was not as memorable as the first fight, to me like many fights are memorable to many fight fans the memories of that weekend will always shine.
RIP Indio