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(AUG 25) Saturday brings the
second installment of “Beautiful Brawlers” at the Moose Lodge in
Pacifica. As the only all-female amateur card of its kind,
pugilists from Southern California, Nevada, Arizona, and even
Georgia will arrive in the Peninsula to participate in what has
been an historic summer for women’s boxing.
“This year it’s an even better event,” said tournament director
Blanca Gutierrez. “Martha Salazar, Eliza Olson, and I have been
bringing these girls in for camps all year and we think we have
a great collection of talent and matchups for Saturday.”
On the heels of the first Olympic women’s boxing competition in
London, Gutierrez is optimistic about the future of the sport,
especially with the success of American women like gold medalist
Claressa Shields and bronze medalist Marlen Esparza.
“We’re banking on building a foundation for the next Olympics
here,” Gutierrez said. “I’m not sure if that Olympic tournament
will advance the sport by itself, but it can only help. Since
the gymnastics program has winners who are 14 and 15, we need to
have a great foundation for our boxers, too.”
Several tantalizing matchups are on the 19-bout docket. For
starters, 2012 National PAL champion Casey Morton takes on 2012
Mex Games gold medalist Paola Estrada at a 115-pound limit. In a
125-pound pairing of two of the best boxers in the region,
Tatiana Almaraz of Concord’s Old School Boxing fights
Sacramento’s Brenda Gutierrez of Caballero’s Gym. Also, 2012
Ringside champion Danika Lara of El Centro travels north from
Southern California to fight Avenal King’s Gym standout Marisol
Lopez, the reigning 2012 U.S. Junior Olympic gold medalist at
106 pounds.
Tickets are $20 at the door. Doors open at 2 p.m., and the first
fight is at 3 p.m. Longtime Northern California promoter and
women’s boxing supporter Jerry Hoffman will be the ring
announcer. There will also be a special appearance by World
Championships silver medalist Raquel Miller of San Francisco,
who accomplished the feat at welterweight and was Shields’s main
sparring partner in London.
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