Karim Mayfield suffers first pro loss

Karim Mayfield suffers first pro loss
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
April 1, 2014


Saturday night, San Francisco junior welterweight Karim Mayfield suffered the first defeat of his professional boxing career. Mayfield dropped a unanimous decision to Thomas Dulorme in Atlantic City; the bout was televised by HBO.

It was a bizarre week for Mayfield, as Thursday evening saw news break that his de facto manager Marlon Sullivan was caught up in serious allegations as they related to Senator Leland Yee.

Yee, a one-time candidate for mayor of San Francisco in 2011, found himself right in the thick of charges such as accepting campaign contributions in order to carry out orders solicited from undercover agents. Such orders included gun running.

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The Soft White Sixties bless Sin City with a sexy dose of rock n roll

The Soft White Sixties bless Sin City with a sexy dose of rock n roll
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
March 26, 2014


Thursday night in downtown Las Vegas, emerging San Francisco rock band The Soft White Sixties played through a 45-minute set to a crowd of people who most of which were unaware a show was going to take place.

In a nice backyard area of the Gold Spike Casino, only a handful of those gathered were aware of the band. Knowledgable fans got what they wanted as the band played through songs from their debut EP as well as their recent release Get Right. Those just looking to kill some time and relax after an eventful opening day of college basketball’s March Madness were pleasantly surprise by the charismatic foursome that have begun to make a good name for themselves in Northern California and are looking to further that following along the west coast.

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Boxing news around the Bay Area

Boxing news around the Bay Area - Mar. 25
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
March 25, 2014

Former Oakland boxer James Buggs shockingly passed away last Tuesday at the early age of 43 from an apparent heart attack.

Over the course of a 10-year professional career that ended in 2009, Buggs was a win some, lose some type of fighter. He compiled a record that consisted of eight wins, ten losses, and three draws, often taking fights on short notice and under unfavorable circumstances against a number of up and comers.

It is within the confines of Oakland’s famed King’s Gym that Buggs’ absence will be felt the most in the boxing community. It is there that Buggs worked with the city’s youth, teaching them the basics of the sweet science while also becoming a reliable figure in the gym for anyone to bounce their problems off.

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Boxing Around the Bay

Boxing Around the Bay
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
March 9, 2014


Sacramento’s Robb signs with manager, fights Apr. 5

Sacramento featherweight Guy Robb has proven himself to be one of the most consistently exciting fighters in northern California since his professional debut in 2010. Due to the lack of pro shows in the region, Robb only fought twice in 2013. The inactivity will hopefully come to an end as Robb signed with local manager Herb Stone on Tuesday, the fighter told the Gazette. The 25-year old Robb (12-1, 5 KOs) put on a gutsy display for a nationally televised audience in his lone defeat, a January 2012 loss to fellow unbeaten Joel Diaz Jr.

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Vacaville's Fiel looking to turn heads Saturday

Vacaville's Fiel looking to turn heads Saturday
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
February 14, 2014


Due to the downswing that professional boxing in the northern California region has experienced in the past few years, Vacaville junior lightweight Adam Fiel has waited patiently since making his professional debut last July in Roseville.

Fiel (1-0, 1 knockout) scored a first round knockout that night and will finally step into the ring again tomorrow night as he faces Oxnard, Calif.’s Luis Pelayo, who is making professional debut in their four round bout.

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King nabs first victory south of the border

King nabs first victory south of the border
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
February 11, 2014

Oakland based welterweight Troy King had to travel south of the border to make his professional boxing debut. The end result, King getting his hand raised after he scored a knockout just 68 seconds into the bout over Victor Acosta. The fight took place at the Restaurant Olivaritos in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

The left-handed King trains out of Boxing for Health in Oakland. What’s more, he actually lives out of the gym in a small loft, training regular citizens who pick up boxing as a way to stay in shape. King started boxing as an amateur in his native Akron, Ohio, before moving to the Bay Area three years ago. He has sparred with some quality pros, such as San Francisco junior welterweight Karim Mayfield as well as the recently crowned welterweight titlist Shawn Porter.

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NorCal boxing in disarray in 2014

NorCal boxing in disarray in 2014
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
January 19, 2014

2004 Olympic gold medalist and undefeated super middleweight king Andre Ward of Oakland fought just one time, battling a myriad of injury woes and contractual issues with promoter Goossen-Tutor Promotions. Ward earned a lopsided unanimous decision over unbeaten Edwin Rodriguez, but enters 2014 with his promotional situation still unsettled as he battles his promoter in the courts.

Gilroy’s Robert Guerrero got the chance of a lifetime, fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr., in a Showtime pay-per-view televised event back in May at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Prior to the bout, Guerrero dealt with legal issues stemming from a gun charge he faced in New York. Guerrero was later soundly defeated by Mayweather in their welterweight contest and went dark for the remainder of the year. As 2014 opens, Guerrero is also trying to get out of his contract with his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions.

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Donaire returns to the ring

Donaire returns to the ring
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
November 7, 2013


San Leandro, Calif., boxer Nonito Donaire returns to the ring on Saturday in a new weight division, but will look across the ring at a familiar foe while doing so.

Donaire (31-2, 20 knockouts) is coming off an April defeat to Guillermo Rigondeaux, his first loss in almost a decade. Donaire was dealing with a slew of personal matters, including his wife Rachel being pregnant with their first child, who was born a few months ago.

Now refocused, Donaire will face Vic Darchinyan (39-5-1, 28 KOs) in a 126-pound fight that will be part of a triple header televised by HBO. These two last met in July of 2007, where the five-to-one underdog Donaire knocked out Darchinyan in the fifth round with a wicked check hook. That victory launched Donaire, who won 13 straight across four weight divisions prior to the loss to Rigondeaux.

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Boxing weekend in Roseville

Boxing weekend in Roseville
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
October 10, 2013


With Andre Ward, Nonito Donaire, and Robert Guerrero the established names on the Northern California boxing circuit, the region is in search of new young up and coming talent to climb the ranks.

Saturday night at the Placer County Fair and Events Center in Roseville, Calif., a number of talented young fighters from the area will showcase their talents in competitively matched four and six round bouts.

Headlining the card is standout junior welterweight prospect Aaron Coley of Hayward, who meets Mike Alexander of Antioch in a six-round bout.

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Mayfield Ready For Top Rank Debut

Mayfield Ready For Top Rank Debut
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
September 26, 2013


It’s been a long and sometimes difficult road for San Francisco junior welterweight contender Karim Mayfield on his way up.

Boxing is a sport that, for many people, plays out as a real-life version of the old board game “Chutes and Ladders.” Just when you think you’re on the verge of taking that step into the big time, something sets you back.

For Mayfield, 31, it’s never been a professional loss that’s kept him from breaking through. In eighteen contests as a paid pugilist, the Bay Area native has never lost.

Instead, Mayfield, who grew up in San Francisco’s famed Fillmore district, has been hampered by inactivity and out of the ring issues ever since turning pro in June of 2006.

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Bits & Pieces: Ali makes GBP debut, Tomlinson moves to L.A.

Bits & Pieces: Ali makes GBP debut, Tomlinson moves to L.A.
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
August 30, 2013


Ali makes Golden Boy debut Sept. 30

2008 U.S. Olympian Sadam Ali held himself back early in his professional career by refusing to sign with a major promotional company, instead going on his own.

Ali finally aligned himself with Golden Boy Promotions earlier this year, and makes his debut in a headlining bout of a Fox Sports 1 card on Sept. 30. It'll be the most exposure he's received since turning pro in January of 2009. It'll be part of Golden Boy's Monday night series, Golden Boy on FOX, and will take place in Ali's hometown of Brooklyn at the Cushman & Wakefield Theater at Barclays Center.

Ali (16-0, 10 KOs) will fight the unheralded Jay Krupp (17-5, 8 KOs) in his first fight of 2013.

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Hirsch hopes to shed journeyman label on Saturday

Hirsch hopes to shed journeyman label on Saturday
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
August 14, 2013


As much as boxing needs to continue developing young fighters into stars, the sport needs just as much a solid foundation of gatekeepers and stepping-stones to provide tests on the way up the ladder.

What about those fighters who were relegated to those labels not because of lack of talent, but lack of opportunity? Oakland, Calif., junior middleweight Tony Hirsch, a longtime sparring partner of RING super middleweight champion Andre Ward, hopes to prove he can be a contender one day.

Saturday night, Hirsch (14-5-2, 6 KOs) gets his first real opportunity. He’ll travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands to fight John Jackson (18-1, 14 KOs) in an eight-round main event that can only be seen on a web stream on GoFightLive (gfl.tv) for $9.99.

Jackson suffered his only defeat last year in a competitive untelevised scrap against Willie Nelson. It was a good learning experience for the 24-year old.

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Guerrero fails at bid to dethrone Mayweather

Guerrero fails at bid to dethrone Mayweather
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
May 7, 2013

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Saturday night, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Robert Guerrero’s long awaited dreams came true.

After many years of climbing the ladder and positioning himself among boxing’s premiere fighters, the Gilroy, Calif., native was awarded a shot at the sport’s premiere box office draw, Floyd Mayweather.

For two rounds, it looked as though Guerrero may have the necessary tools required to hand Mayweather his first loss in 44 professional contests. Guerrero was as effectively aggressive as any Mayweather opponent for six minutes, but things began to unravel for him in the third round as Mayweather began finding a home for his straight right hand.

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James Page's Battle to Turn Back the Clock

In the February 2013 edition of British boxing publication Boxing Monthly, I have a four-page spread on the unlikely comeback of former WBA welterweight titlist James Page, who returned to the ring in November 2012 after a 10.5 year jail sentence stemming from multiple bank robberies. In fact, Page's picture makes it on the front cover in the upper right corner. Though Page's comeback didn't go as planned, there was still a worthwhile story behind the ring return.

I was very proud of this piece. Unfortunately, the photographer I used pictures from was completely unprofessional and refused to provide me with shots of Page getting worked over by his opponent in that comeback fight, telling me "Page is her homie". This despite the fact I lined her up to get paid for the photos.

A banner year for NorCal boxing in 2012

A banner year for NorCal boxing in 2012
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
January 3, 2013

After being dormant for many years, the boxing scene in Northern California turned the heat up in 2012 as over 20 different shows took place in the region with the area's biggest stars all scoring signature wins that could setup major fights as we begin a new calendar.

Oakland's Andre Ward only fought once in 2011, but he made the most of it, scoring a stoppage of light heavyweight king Chad Dawson at the Oracle Arena in early September in his first appearance as an HBO headliner. The bout was for Ward's bevy of titles at 168 pounds with Dawson moving down, and Ward dropped Dawson twice early in the bout before finishing him in the 10th.

James Page's comeback unsuccessful, stopped in two rounds

James Page's comeback unsuccessful, stopped in two rounds
Mark E. Ortega
Queensberry-Rules.com
November 19, 2012

NATOMAS, Calif.--Saturday night, on a small club show in Natomas, Calif., former WBA welterweight beltholder James Page returned to the ring for the first time in more than a decade at 41 years of age in the six-round main event at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel against journeyman Rahman Yusubov of Azerbaijan.

In the first 30 seconds, Page (25-5, 19 KOs) nearly made it a triumphant return as he wobbled Yusubov (9-9, 7 KOs) with the first left hook he landed, but due to a deterioration of skills caused by spending 11 years behind bars after being a party to multiple bank robberies, he was unable to land the follow-up barrage that would have ended the night early.

In the closing seconds of the opening round, Yusubov landed some harsh shots with Page on the ropes that rocked the comebacking Pittsburg, Calif. native badly. In the 2nd round, Yusubov would continue his assault, landing tremendous blows that had Page in bad shape from the first moments of the round. Page took shot after shot, somehow remaining upright before Yusubov finally put him down in a heap at the midway point of the round and the referee called the bout off.

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Page comeback derailed

Page comeback derailed

Mark E. Ortega

Martinez News-Gazette

November 19, 2012


NATOMAS, Calif.--Last Saturday night, former WBA welterweight champion James Page did the improbable, returning to the ring for the first time following a 10-and-a-half year prison sentence, fighting rugged journeyman Rahman Yusubov in the six-round main event at the Four Points by Sheraton in Natomas, Calif. Unfortunately for Page and his team, the result wasn't what they were hoping for.

Page had been out of jail since the early part of the year, training at famed King's Gym in Oakland with a number of quality professional fighters, including middleweight prospect Omar Henry and junior middleweight contender Alfredo Angulo. He had worked himself down to 153 pounds for the fight, just one weight class heavier than where he contested most of his bouts in his prime in the late '90s.

Former Titlist James Page Begins His Unlikely Ring Return

Former Titlist James Page Begins His Unlikely Ring Return
Mark E. Ortega
Queensberry-Rules.com
November 17, 2012

There is an old boxing adage that a fighter's power is usually the last thing to go. Before that, they lose their reflexes, stamina and often their punch resistance.

Saturday night, on a club show in Natomas, Calif. at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, 41-year old former welterweight titleholder James Page of nearby Pittsburg will attempt to prove that old adage correct, as he returns to the ring for the first time in over a decade after spending 11 years behind bars as he served time for multiple bank robberies in the Atlanta area at the early part of the millennium.

Page last saw action as a professional pugilist in 2001, when he was stopped by Andrew Lewis in seven rounds in an HBO Boxing After Dark bout where he was attempting to regain the WBA belt that he'd been stripped of the year before for failing to show up to the weigh-in for the initially scheduled Lewis bout.

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San Francisco's Mayfield makes statement in HBO debut

San Francisco's Mayfield makes statement in HBO debut
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
October 29, 2013

VERONA, N.Y.—Last Saturday night, San Francisco junior welterweight Karim Mayfield took the biggest step in his career as he outpointed the durable Mauricio Herrera in their HBO televised ten-round attraction at the Turning Stone Casino & Resort in upstate New York. For Mayfield, it was his long-awaited debut on HBO.

Mayfield, 31, was able to outmuscle Herrera for most of the bout, utilizing his strength to back his opponent into the ropes and land vicious overhand rights almost at will. Mayfield was often criticized early in his career for falling in love with his overhand right but was able to work in some effective left hooks and uppercuts on the inside, landing more in combination than he has in previous bouts.

Karim Mayfield perseveres through ups and downs, makes HBO debut

Karim Mayfield perseveres through ups and downs, makes HBO debut
Mark E. Ortega
Queensberry-Rules.com
October 27, 2012

It has been a long road for San Francisco's Karim Mayfield, but Saturday night, at age 31, the junior welterweight contender makes his HBO debut in an intriguing matchup with fellow Californian Mauricio Herrera of Lake Elsinore in southern California.

The two were initially slated to meet in an ESPN2 televised bout back in mid-August, but injuries to both fighters derailed that fight from taking place in Mayfield's hometown. Herrera was hurting from a back injury, and before a replacement opponent could be found, Mayfield injured his hand, forcing a cancellation of the card.

Though Mayfield is undoubtedly bummed that this fight will take place on the East Coast rather than in front of fans that have been following him since he was a standout amateur, both Mayfield and Herrera will now earn considerably improved upon purses. This is the San Franciscan's second straight fight in New York, having impressively starched a then-unbeaten Raymond Serrano on ESPN2 back in May of this year.

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