reviewjournal.com -- Sports: Mayorga claims set-up in rape charge

Former welterweight champion Ricardo Mayorga was a free man Saturday, barely more than 24 hours after being arrested on a rape charge in his native Nicaragua. Mayorga had been detained for three hours Friday after a woman claimed he sexually assaulted her.

Mayorga flew to Las Vegas and attended the boxing card at Mandalay Bay. He would not discuss the charge, other than to say, "I was set up." He said he will be able to fight Felix Trinidad Jr. in a highly anticipated middleweight fight Oct. 2 in New York.

Promoter Don King called the rape charge a "he-said, she-said" situation and said he did not believe any more would come of it. King said he was assured by Nicaraguan officials that if a criminal case is pursued, it would not be for several months.

"It doesn't seem like anything is going to happen as far as charges go, but if it does, it will be way, way down the road," King said. "The kid is here and ready to fight and this is all behind him. This is just another Kobe Bryant situation. The guy is maybe the most well-known man in (Nicaragua) and he's a target."

Kobe Bryant is the Los Angeles Lakers star who was accused of sexual assault last year by a Colorado woman. The charges were dropped last week in the early stages of jury selection after the alleged victim decided she did not want to testify.

Mayorga said he only missed one day of training and would not be distracted by the charges. He also vowed to knock out Trinidad.

"My lawyers did a great job and they put me in this position, where I can go up there and knock Trinidad out," Mayorga said. "I'm going to sleep in the ring so I can get Trinidad as soon as possible."