The boxing gods have been very kind to the San Francisco Bay Area in recent years, granting local fans with the likes of Oakland’s Andre Ward, Gilroy’s Robert Guerrero and San Leandro’s Nonito Donaire Jr.
It now looks as though undefeated welterweight prospect Karim Mayfield of San Francisco (13-0-1, 8 KOs) is ready to make a big step in his quest to join this very elite group of local fighters. Having already fought four undefeated fighters in his young career, the 30 year-old boxer is scheduled to be showcased on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights on June 17 against former junior lightweight world champion Stevie Forbes (35-9, 11 KOs).
Known well to boxing insiders for his excellent sparring work with top boxers in the sport, Mayfield has developed into a polished professional with a stiff jab, great left hook and excellent overhand right. Also with tight defensive skills, he has a style that resembles the great “Sugar” Shane Mosley; someone he has emulated in sparring to prepare Manny Pacquiao, Antonio Margarito and Segio Mora.
In addition to his ring skills and fan-friendly style, Karim Mayfield is a very likeable young man that Bay Area fans have come out to support at local venues, including Kezar Pavilion, HP Pavilion and Oracle Arena.
While Karim Mayfield represents perhaps the latest boxing star to emerge from the Bay Area, he carries on a boxing tradition that is nothing new to the city of San Francisco. Once known as the top destination in the country for the sport, the city’s lineage of great fighters matches well with any other traditional boxing hotbed – New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Chicago – San Francisco is right there.
San Francisco's James J. Corbett, also known as “Gentleman Jim,” became heavyweight champion of the world in 1892 after becoming the only man to ever defeat the great John L. Sullivan. Corbett was outweighed by over 30 pounds but utilized what has been described as a revolutionary scientific style of boxing to vanquish the American icon.
Jimmy Britt, another San Francisco-born boxing superstar, made his name in boxing’s lightweight division by both defeating and losing to some of the best this sport has ever known. With most of his fights taking place in the Bay Area at now extinct venues such as Oakland’s Acme Athletic Club, as well as San Francisco’s Woodward’s Pavilion, Mechanic’s Pavilion, Mission Street Arena, Recreation Park and Auditorium Rink, Jimmy Britt was among the most famous and well-paid boxers during the first decade of the 20th century.
Then of course there were other early 20th century San Francisco boxing household names such as long-reigning featherweight world champion Abe Attell and his youngest brother, Monte “The Nob Hill Terror” Attell, to round out some of the best fighters San Francisco has ever produced.
While Karim Mayfield has yet to reach the legendary status of the above fighters born and based in his hometown, he does represent the boxing legacy they left behind, and his journey to bigger and better things continues Friday the 17th at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, against one Stevie Forbes.
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