One of the sport’s great characters and a good world champion in his day Ricardo Mayorga has decided to hang up the gloves.

The 44-year-old from Nicaragua leaves the sport having become a two-weight world champion during a professional tenure that accumulated 32-10-1-26KO as a professional fighter.

In an emotion filled interview on a television broadcaster in his home country he said:

“When I was a kid, I promised my mother that I would become the boxing world champion.”

Indeed he did and one that will be remembered too.

Always involved in fun press conferences, Mayorga had more than an ability to just fight in the ring – he could sure sell them too.

Press conferences with the likes of Shane Mosely, Fernando Vargas and Oscar De La Hoya spring to mind in terms of the most controversial.

He bombarded all three with extremely personal insults and on one occasion even smoked a cigarette right in the face of Mosely.

His fight style in the ring was an unorthodox one but highly effective. Wild swinging bombs made it hard for opponents to figure him out more often than not.

When he hit home he packed a tremendous punch in the right hand in particular – treating fans to some highlight reel knockouts over the years.

He continued to say in his TV interview:

“I think that the sport is for young people and I think I’m already at the point to not fight on anymore.”

Everyone at Boxing News and Views wishes Ricardo Mayorga all the very best in retirement.