Mayweather Comes Back to the Forum : Boxing: He fights De La Cruz in 10-round main event tonight.

Considering Roger Mayweather’s record in Los Angeles in the late 1980s, it is understandable why the former super-lightweight boxing champion loves to fight in the Southland.

From November of 1985 to September of 1988, Mayweather earned the nickname “The Mexican Assassin” by defeating six consecutive Mexican boxers in Los Angeles.

Now, after a three-year layoff from the L.A. area, Mayweather will face Pedro De La Cruz of Mexico in the 10-round main event tonight at 7 at the Forum.

It will be his first fight since losing to Rafael Pineda of Colombia in an International Boxing Federation title bout in December.

“It’s a change and exciting at the same time coming back to fight in L.A. after such a long layoff,” Mayweather said. “It didn’t bother me to have the crowd rooting against me because it gave them something they could identify with.”

Mayweather, 31, began his Los Angeles streak by beating Azabache Martinez at the Olympic before defeating Oscar Bejines, Segio Sambrano, Renne Arredondo, Gato Gonzalez and Mauricio Aceves over a three-year period. Beating Arredondo gave Mayweather the World Boxing Council super-lightweight title, which he successfully defended four times.

However, in May of 1989, Mayweather lost for the second time to Julio Cesar Chavez at the Forum, ending his streak. After being knocked out by Chavez during the second round in July of 1985, Mayweather nearly handed Chavez his only professional loss in the rematch before fading in the late rounds.

Mayweather is a rangy boxer with quick hands and a long reach. He has the ability to hit on the move and to punch with power from a distance.

Mayweather has a 40-7 record with 25 knockouts in his 11-year pro career. He won his first 17 fights, including an eighth-round knockout of Sammy Serrano for the World Boxing Assn. junior lightweight title. He has fought many of the great lightweights of his era, including Chavez, Pernell Whitaker, Terrence Alli, Vinny Pazienza and Rocky Lockridge.

The layoff since his loss to Pineda is unusual for Mayweather, who averages four bouts per year, and fighting De La Cruz will not be an easy challenge.

De La Cruz, 24, has a 11-5-1 record but has nine knockouts, which could be a problem for Mayweather, who has been knocked out five times.

Other 10-round fights on tonight’s card include a heavyweight bout between Alex Garcia of San Fernando (24-1 with 19 knockouts) and Arthur Weathers of Louisville (18-5 with 15 knockouts) and a super-lightweight bout between Danny Perez of Paramount (14-2 with six knockouts) and David Kamau of Los Angeles (16-0 with 13 knockouts).