Ex-champion Arce ready for comeback

Jorge Arce talks about moving forward. Yet in his mind, he can't ignore the past.

Arce's 12-round unanimous decision loss to Cristian Mijares for Mijares' WBC super flyweight title April 14 sticks in his craw. Not because he lost, but the way he lost.

"I may have been overconfident, and I got careless," Arce said. "I was into so many things leading up to the fight, my concentration wasn't where it should have been."

As a result, he paid the price. Now, the former two-time light flyweight world champion is on the comeback trail, and he would love another shot at Mijares.

But when he enters the ring at 5 p.m. today at the Hard Rock Hotel for his 12-round fight with lanky left-hander Tomas Rojas, it will be at 118 pounds, not the 115 at which he fought Mijares in San Antonio in April. It also will be for the WBC Latin Bantamweight championship.

"If he wants to come up (to 118), that's better for me," Arce said. "But for me, it's about wanting to prove that it was just one bad night. When I beat Rojas, I'm going to look into the TV camera and say to (Mijares), 'You're next!' "

With a 46-4-1 (35 knockouts) record, Arce is the veteran fighter headlining a card of young Mexican fighters that Top Rank has dubbed "Viva Mexico!" Also on the card is the WBC mini-flyweight title 12-round fight with champion Edgar Sosa (28-5, 14 KOs) defending his belt against Lorenzo Trejo (30-15, five KOs). Jorge Paez Jr. also is on the card in a six-round lightweight bout against Alain Hernandez.

But Arce is the main attraction, and he knows that if he wants to get back to the top, he must beat Rojas. Mijares, in an attempt to get under Arce's skin, predicts Rojas will win.

"I could have taken an easier fight," Arce said. "But I would have been taking a step back, and I don't want to take any more backward steps.

"I miss the respect that comes with being champion. I miss having the belt. I want to show that I'm focused and ready and won't take anyone lightly."