Mayfield Brings the Fight Home Tonight

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA — For the first time in over four years, professional boxing returns to San Francisco tonight as local welterweight prospect Karim Mayfield headlines a four-bout card at the Kezar Pavilion. Mayfield, who found boxing growing up in the Fillmore section of the city, will take on journeyman Sergio De La Torre in the eight-round main event. Fighters weighed in Friday afternoon at Gussie’s Chicken & Waffles.

Mayfield (12-0-1, 7 KOs) of Daly City, California has fought in the Bay Area eight times in his thirteen fight career, but never before in San Francisco. In his last fight, this past March, Mayfield scored a razor thin six-round majority decision over Mario Jose Ramos in Reno, Nevada. Known for his entertaining style, Mayfield will look to be more impressive in front of his home crowd against De La Torre tonight. Mayfield, who has often fought at junior middleweight to get fights, weighed in at 146 ½-pounds Friday.

The well traveled De La Torre (11-13-3, 1 KO) of Escondido, California has won just twice in his past fifteen fights, with many of those fights coming against touted prospects. De La Torre comes in off two tough losses to well regarded light welterweights Mike Dallas Jr. and Josesito Lopez last year. Despite his lopsided record, De La Torre does come to fight and has only been stopped in three of his defeats. In a site note, De La Torre fought in the main event of one of the few events held in San Francisco in recent years, and was stopped in eight by Juaquin Gallardo at the Cow Palace in December of 2003. De La Torre weighed in at 147-pounds Friday.

In the co-feature, former San Francisco Golden Gloves Champion Tony Hirsch (11-3-1, 5 KOs) of Oakland, California will take on Jovanni Rubio (6-11, 5 KOs) of Santa Rosa, California in an eight-round super middleweight fight. Hirsch, who played for the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League, weighed in at 163-pounds. Rubio, who began his career as a light welterweight, scaled 167.5-pounds Friday.

Somebody’s “O” must go, as Benjamin Rivera (0-3) of Fresno, California will meet Shawn Wate (0-4) of Los Angeles, California in a four-round bout pairing winless light welterweights. Rivera, who turned professional last year, weighed in at 138.5-pounds. Wate, who dropped his opponent twice in his pro debut and still managed to lose a four-round decision, scaled 138.

In the fight that may steal the show, all-action Jonathan Alcantara (4-1-1) of Novato, California will take on former amateur standout Bruno Escalante Jr. (0-0-1) of Waimanalo, Hawaii in a four-round super bantamweight fight. Escalante, the 2008 National PAL Champion at 112-pounds, trains out of the same Undisputed Boxing Gym in San Carlos, California as fellow Filipino and current Interim WBA Super Flyweight Champion Nonito Donaire Jr. Alcantara, the naturally larger fighter, has experience against former amateur stars, with upsets over both Aaron Alafa and David Clark. Alcantara scaled 120.5-pounds, while Escalante weighed in at 118.4.

Advertised bouts involving San Francisco-based young pros Richard Hargraves, Miguel Lopez and Cynthia Talmadge were unfortunately cancelled when their opponents fell out and replacements were not found in time.

Tickets for the event, promoted by Mo’ Betta Entertainment and Hard Knox Promotions, are available online at Vbotickets.com.

Quick Weigh-in Results:

Welterweights, 8 Rounds
Mayfield 146.5
De La Torre 147

Super Middleweights, 8 Rounds
Hirsch 164
Rubio 167.5

Light Welterweights, 4 Rounds
Rivera 138.5
Wate 138

Super Bantamweights, 4 Rounds
Alcantara 120.5
Escalante Jr. 118.4

Photos by Junior Beronilla

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.