LAS VEGAS, Nevada - Ricardo Mayorga is barely back from a two-year layoff but he has a world title fight against Miguel Cotto and a hunger to turn that into a chance to face Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao.

Puerto Rico's Cotto defends his World Boxing Association super welterweight crown on Saturday against Nicaraguan Mayorga, a fellow former world welterweight champion.

"This is the fight where I'm going to impose my will," Mayorga said. "I want to get a fight with Pacquiao. I have to knock out Cotto to prove I deserve it.

"If I happen to beat him by decision, I'm feeling I don't deserve to fight Manny Pacquiao. That's how strong I feel about this fight.

"But I know I'm going to knock out this clown."

On the undercard, Australia's unbeaten Leonardo Zappavigna, 25-0 with 17 knockouts, also fights for a world title, facing Miguel Vazquez, 27-3 with 12 knockouts, for the Mexican's International Boxing Federation lightweight crown.

Cotto is 35-2 with 28 knockouts and the 30-year-old comes off a 2009 loss to Pacquiao and a ninth-round stoppage of Israel's Yuri Foreman last June. He takes Mayorga's verbal sparring calmly.

"Trash talking doesn't mean anything to me. You don't win your fights talking," Cotto said. "You win in the ring. That's where I'm going to win.

"He doesn't have the skills. He's only brawling. I'll capitalize on every mistake and I expect a lot of mistakes."

Mayorga is 29-7 with one drawn and 23 knockouts, but the 37-year-old fighter had a 26-month layoff after car crash injuries until stopping American Michael Walker in the ninth round last December, his first early stoppage win in nearly eight years.

Mayorga has lost four of his past eight fights, falling to Shane Mosley in 2008, Oscar de la Hoya in 2006, Felix Trinidad in 2004 and Cory Spinks in 2003.

But he thinks he has plenty left for Cotto and Pacquiao, who has not lost in six years.

"No one is unbeatable. Manny is just a human being like everyone else," said Mayorga. "I wouldn't come in with any fear and wouldn't be tentative.

"When I knock out Manny Pacquiao I will become the most famous fighter of all time. That's what I'm working for."

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 03/12/2011 page15)