San Francisco’s Karim Mayfield (14-0-1, 9 KOs) continued to impress at welterweight tonight, winning the most significant fight of his career in Austin, TX, via a tenth round TKO over former junior lightweight world champion Steve Forbes (35-10, 11 KOs).
The fight marked the first time in the local fighter's career that he has gone beyond six rounds, and it was the first time in Forbes’ career that he was knocked out.
Contested at the Frank Erwin Center, the fight was a rough one, with both men doing a lot of clinching and punching on the inside, but Karim Mayfield consistently got the best of the action, outworking Steve Forbes throughout the fight.
In the first round, Mayfield was in control, landing numerous quick, hard overhand rights to the head of Forbes, complemented by a couple of right uppercuts and a stiff left jab. On the other hand, Forbes landed a couple sneaky right hands of his own in a round with a great deal of roughhousing.
Mayfield continued to find a home for his overhand rights in the second frame while mixing in a few left hooks. The 30 year-old Bay Area native was particularly effective with Forbes on the ropes.
The highlight in the third came during the final ten seconds when Steve Forbes was staggered by a big right hand on the top of his head. Prior to that punch, Mayfield dominated the action, landing several right hands to the head and left hooks to the body.
Although Steve Forbes began landing some good counterpunches in the fourth, Karim Mayfield continued the barrage of chopping right hands.
Mayfield put in sustained work on the inside, punishing Forbes with right hands during rounds 5 and 6 before beginning to work his jab in the seventh and land some left-right hook combinations.
There was less clinching and inside fighting in round 8, as Mayfield began separating himself with some distance but continued punishing Forbes with power punches. The former champion was staggered twice by right hands before the close of the frame in a round that saw the 34 year-old boxer beginning to noticeably wilt.
Mayfield persisted with his assault in the ninth by using some distance, faster hands and power punches. Then in the tenth and final round, the 147 pound prospect hurt Forbes with another right hand and followed with a flurry of power punches with his opponent pinned in a corner before referee Gregorio Alvarez stopped the fight.
The official time of the stoppage was 1:03 into the tenth round.
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