Mora ready for rematch after taking Forrest’s title

Sergio Mora won a world title in his first shot. Now he faces perhaps a tougher task: defending it.

The 27-year-old fighter from Los Angeles outboxed Vernon Forrest on June 7 and claimed the WBC light middleweight title with a 12-round majority decision.

The two will meet again Sept. 13, this time at the MGM Grand Garden as part of the Juan Manuel Marquez-Joel Casamayor card.

Mora said he's well prepared to defend his title.

"I've definitely been through a lot in a short time," said Mora (21-0-1, five knockouts). "I started pretty late, as a 16-year-old, and I've always had to catch up. I've always fought advanced fighters and fighters with more experience. So I've always had to prove myself, and I think that's what makes me a tougher fighter.

"It's taken me a long time to get here, and I plan on staying here."

Mora expects the 37-year-old Forrest (40-3, 29 KOs) to be a different fighter in the rematch. But Mora said he'll be different, too.

"I expect him to be more focused, and obviously we know each other a little better so he knows what to expect of me and I certainly know what to expect of him," Mora said. "With comfort comes a more exciting fight because we're willing to take more chances on both sides."

• MARQUEZ OFFICIALS -- The Nevada Athletic Commission has selected Tony Weeks to referee the world lightweight title fight between Marquez and Casamayor. Paul Smith, Patricia Morse-Jarman and Glenn Feldman will be the judges.

Vic Drakulich will referee Forrest-Mora. Burt Clements, Dick Houck and Alan Rubenstein will be the judges.

• NEW VENTURE -- Las Vegas-based analyst Al Bernstein has launched a boxing Web site.

Teaming with IBN Sports, the "Al Bernstein Boxing Channel" will provide 24-hour content on the sport, including interviews, analysis and highlights with streaming video.

"There's going to be lots of highlight shows," said Bernstein, who will continue to work as an analyst for Showtime. "It'll be like ESPN's 'SportsCenter,' only it's totally dedicated to boxing."

The service is free and requires no registration. The site debuted three weeks ago, and Bernstein said more content will be added in the coming weeks. It can be found at ibnsports.com.

• LANG AUTHORS BOOK -- Longtime Las Vegas radio talk show host Arne Lang has written a book about the history of boxing: "Prizefighting: An American History."

The 274-page book ($55 retail), published by McFarland Publishing, covers all of the great U.S. fights and has an in-depth look at the history of the Las Vegas fight scene.

• AMATEURS ON TV -- Championship matches from this year's Junior Golden Gloves Nationals will be televised at 7:30 p.m. today on Cox Cable Channel 19. It is the first time amateur matches have been televised locally.

Matches from the competition in Mesquite also will be aired on Channel 19 at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sept. 7.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.