Wright dodges rust, age to end 20-month hiatus

To Winky Wright, rust, like age, is a relative thing.

He hasn't fought in almost two years, but Wright isn't too concerned as he prepares for his return to the ring on April 11 when he faces fellow middleweight Paul Williams at Mandalay Bay. Just like he's not too concerned that at age 37 his best days might be behind him.

"I feel great," Wright said Thursday after a 70-minute workout at the TKO Gym on South Fort Apache Road. "We all age. That's inevitable."

As for losing that ring rust, Wright said it hasn't been easy. That's why he and trainer Dan Birmingham have had an extended two-month training camp to prepare for Williams, who fought four times in 2008 and is 36-1 with 27 knockouts.

"It's hard being gone so long," said Wright (51-4-1, 25 KOs), who last fought July 21, 2007, in losing a 12-round unanimous decision to Bernard Hopkins. "But you can't do too much differently. You have to prepare the best you can and be ready on fight night."

Wright, who will fight at 160 pounds next month, had weighed as much as 193 during his 20-month hiatus. He didn't plan to stay inactive that long, but he claims no one would fight him.

"HBO gave me a group of six names to see if they wanted to fight me, and none of them wanted to sign on the line," Wright said. "I've never ducked anybody. They're the ones who have been ducking me."

That list, according to Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, included Kelly Pavlik, Jermain Taylor, Vernon Forrest, Mikkel Kessler and Arthur Abraham. Only Williams, who also was on the HBO list, was willing to fight Wright.

"I know what Winky's been through because it's happened to me, too," Williams said. "I've had guys duck me as well."

• GAMBOA TITLE SHOT -- Yuriorkis Gamboa, the Cuban featherweight star who has attracted large crowds to Primm to watch him fight, gets a chance to win a world title when he meets Jose Rojas on April 17 for the WBA's interim ordinary featherweight title at the Star of the Desert Arena.

Gamboa (13-0, 11 KOs) is coming off a first-round knockout of Walter Estrada in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Feb. 20. Rojas (25-6-1, 17 KOs) last fought in Nevada in 2001 when Yober Ortega knocked him out in the fourth round at Mandalay Bay. Since then, Rojas has been fighting mostly in Venezuela, Colombia and Indonesia.

The fight will be televised live on Showtime. Tickets priced at $20, $50 and $100 are available in advance online at primmvalleyresorts.com as well as at the door on the night of the fight.

• ODDS UPDATE -- Williams is a 2-1 favorite to beat Wright in their April 11 middleweight bout at Mandalay Bay, according to the MGM Mirage sports books. The takeback on Wright is plus-170.

Manny Pacquiao is minus-240 to beat Ricky Hatton in their May 2 junior welterweight fight at the MGM Grand Garden. Hatton is plus-200.

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