LAS VEGAS -- Ricardo Mayorga made it two in a row over Vernon Forrest, although the colorful brawler from Nicaragua had to go the distance this time.

	By the 11th round, Ricardo Mayorga already was holding up his arms in triumph. His victory was official after the 12th.

Relentlessly pursuing his backpedaling opponent around the ring, Mayorga pounded out a 12-round majority decision over Forrest on Saturday night to retain his WBC and WBA welterweight titles.

Mayorga had stunned the previously unbeaten Forrest when he stopped him in the third round of their Jan. 25 bout in California.

The rematch was much closer -- two judges favored Mayorga, a third scored it a draw -- although Mayorga landed far more telling punches. There were no knockdowns, but Mayorga rocked his foe in the second round and had him wobbly again in the 10th.

"I proved that I could take a punch and go 12 rounds," Mayorga said through an interpreter. "I would have looked better if he had traded punches with me.

"It's hard to look good when you're doing so much chasing."

Ove Oveson scored it 116-112 for Mayorga, and Larry O'Connell had Mayorga winning 115-114. Judge Jerry Roth scored it 114-114.

Mayorga, who talks constantly and likes his cigarettes and beer, landed almost twice as many power punches -- 105-66 -- as Forrest, who tried to throw jabs and circle his more aggressive foe.

By the 11th round, Mayorga already was holding up his arms in triumph.

	“	Forrest is a sissy and doesn't punch that hard. ”
		— Ricardo Mayorga, 25-3-1 after winning the rematch

He roused the crowd in the fourth round after Forrest landed a hard jab. Mayorga dropped his gloves and dared Forrest to hit him -- which Forrest did with a quick combination.

But Mayorga hardly flinched, then went after him, landing blows as Forrest slipped away on the ropes.

"Forrest is a sissy and doesn't punch that hard," Mayorga said.

The 32-year-old Forrest, however, kept the fight close with his skill against an opponent with more speed and power -- but far less discipline.

"He fought a lot better this time," Mayorga said. "He could have beaten most welterweights."

The 29-year-old Mayorga, from Managua, is 25-3-1 with 23 knockouts. Forrest is 35-2, with 26 knockouts.

Mayorga weighed 146 pounds, and Forrest weighed the limit of 147.

In their January bout in Temecula, Calif., Forrest was coming off consecutive wins over previously undefeated Shane Mosley, two impressive victories that not only gave him the WBC 147-pound title, but also recognition as the 2002 fighter of the year.

But Mayorga, a 6-1 underdog in that first fight, knocked Forrest down in the opening round, then had him helpless against the ropes when referee Marty Denkin waved the fight to a close.

Before the rematch at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas, the outgoing Mayorga was extremely talkative, but Forrest avoided reporters.

He apologized late in the week, saying he did not want any distractions, but he again was silent after losing a second time to Mayorga.

In another 12-rounder, Vivian Harris unanimously outpointed previously unbeaten Souleymane M'Baye to retain his WBA super lightweight title.

Harris, a native of Guyana who lives in Brooklyn, improved to 23-1-1, and he has 16 knockouts. M'Baye, from France, is 27-1, with 13 knockouts. Harris weighed 139½, and M'Baye weighed 140.

Zab Judah got a split decision to take DeMarcus Corley's WBO junior welterweight title. Judah (29-1, 21 knockouts) said he broke his left hand early in the fight and was limited to using his jab the rest of the way.

Judah (29-1, 21 knockouts) weighed 140 and Corley (29-1-1, 16 knockouts) weighed 139½ for their 12-round bout.