Mora’s draw could cost him

If anyone deserved an excuse, Sergio Mora said Tuesday night, it was him.

He needed one after his draw with Elvin Ayala in a 10-round middleweight fight at the Home Depot Center in Carson.

Mora, the unbeaten 2005 winner of the boxing reality television series, “The Contender,” showed defensive rust from a 14-month layoff created by failed contract talks with several fighters, and a late change of opponent from forward-charging former world champion Kassim Ouma to the defensive, counter-punching Ayala.

“I still believe I won the fight,” Mora said. “But I’m disgusted in my performance.”

Mora never appeared fazed by Ayala’s punches but he left himself open to a steady delivery of blows, even though Mora at times battered Ayala with the night’s more powerful assaults.

Judge David Mendoza credited Mora (19-0-1) with a one-sided 99-91 decision, judge Raul Caiz Jr. gave Ayala a 96-94 edge and judge Max DeLuca scored the bout a 95-95 tie.

In the night’s co-main event, former “Contender” fighter Alfonso Gomez improved to 18-3-2, winning by unanimous decision over welterweight Ben Tackie (29-8-1).

Mora’s draw probably sabotages his hopes for a high-profile, rich payday early next year with newly crowned middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik.

Mora, a South Los Angeles native, left the ring abruptly, well aware that his shot at Pavlik might have disappeared. The unbeaten Pavlik is waiting to hear if fallen former champion Jermain Taylor will activate a rematch clause by the end of the month. If he doesn’t, Pavlik is expected to pick between Mora and Ireland’s John Duddy for his next fight in January.

“Duddy’s now the front-runner,” said a spokesman for Pavlik’s promoter, Top Rank.

“Actually, I’m hoping Pavlik’s people are licking their chops because I looked [bad] tonight,” Mora said. “I’m still undefeated, and I’m still popular, and I hope they’ll understand I had an excuse of preparing nine weeks for Ouma, and then having just three weeks of practice to chase this guy.”

Mora often caught Ayala (18-2-1) with the sharper punches in most rounds, but he also left himself open to stiff uppercuts and good combinations such as a sixth-round flurry that made the pro-Mora crowd gasp. Mora looked back at his watchers in a dismissive glance, apparent confirmation that he wasn’t being hurt.

The harm, it turns out, was on the scorecards.

lance.pugmire@latimes.com