(SEPT 14) On Saturday, September 10, 2011 BabyFace Boxing and Bad Girls Boxing made boxing history at the Pacifica Moose Lodge. Female boxers from all over California including San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno, Palm Desert, Fresno, Southern California, Oregon and Nevada made their way to Pacifica to the first ever all female amateur boxing event ever to take place in California.

Martha Salazar, Eliza Olsen and Blanca Gutierrez

As promoter and coordinator of this amateur boxing show, I was very excited to match these bouts. At least 60 female fighters put their names on the list to fight on this show but only 30 girls were matched to participate in this history making event. We also had 3 sets of sisters on this card. For this show we matched the cream of the crop. We had 15 championship bouts and eight of those fights were open fighters. We had 2011 Desert showdown, P.A.L., National Female Golden Gloves champions , 8 US nationally ranked boxers and 5 Olympic Hopefuls. Also, participating on this event was the newly crowned 2011 Junior Olympic US National Champion, Jasmine Jones.

Chief Corner Club out of Oregon brought 2 boxers. Yvette Pancoatl, 18 years old, came out on top and out pointing a fast and aggressive 19 years old, Cynthia Leon from East Oakland Boxing club. Pancoatl stalked Cinthea and basically threw very telling power punches and combinations. Although both boxers were extremely talented the judges scored it for Pancoatl.

Bernice Hernandez from Las Vegas, Nevada won best boxer of the tournament. She boxed a game and very talented Marina Ramirez out of Prime time Boxing in Sacramento. This bout was nonstop action and it proved to be one of the most skilled boxing bouts of a very talented boxing card. Both are Olympic hopefuls and we see big things for both boxers. It was very difficult to pick the best boxer of the tournament because all the boxers were so talented. What put Bernice over the edge as winner was her ability to keep on throwing beautiful combinations and her footwork was perfection.

Brenda Gutierrez from Caballeros, Sacramento beat out the 2011 Junior Olympic champion Jasmine Jones from Vacaville P.A.L. . We had problems matching Jasmine because no one wanted to fight her. She also brings a big crowd to every event. Jones is a very good boxer who won boxer of the entire tournament at the US Junior Olympic Nationals. This was a rematch. Jones beat Gutierrez at the Northern California Golden Gloves. Gutierrez who is 17 years old and actually has more experience than Jones, out boxed Jones on Saturday. Many beautiful combinations were thrown by both girs but Gutierrez landed the more clean shots and her bobbing and weaving style was very effective.

We had very competitive fights out of the younger divisions. Graciela Ortega out of Shotgun Boxing Club, Sacramento was definitely a stand out. This 10 year old dynamo boxed Katherine Interian from Oregon who was five pounds heavier. Ortega, came out blazing and never stopped. The skill level of Ortega is definitely a testament to what the future of female boxing is all about. 10 year old Ortega was actually was in consideration for the best fighter of the night. She was outstanding with body blows and keeping up a good pace. We hope to see much more out of Ortega. I want her on every show.

Our only eight year old bout brought the crowd out off their seats. These little fire crackers were not only cute, they had skills. Their coaches have done a phenomenal job with them. Lela Gutierrez from Shotgun Boxing in Sacramento boxed a very talented Haley Zepada from Vacaville P.A.L. Even though Lela had 5 fights and this was Haley’s first fight, the bout was very close. The skill level was above and beyond any other eight year old boxers I have seen. These girls are the future of boxing.

Our Semi main event stole the show. This was a rematch between Tatiana Almaraz, 26 years old from Old School Boxing in Concord, California and 18 year old, Shanne Ruelas from Main Event Boxing in Fresno. Both girls came out swinging, bobbing and weaving and throwing beautiful body blows. Almaraz started off counter punching the quick and precise Ruelas and later turned the tempo around and started aggressively landing many 4 punch combinations that would take her to a victory and she took home the belt and both fighters won the trophy for fighter of the night.

Our main event, an Olympic hopeful, Lauren Pettis from the Kennel Boxing Club in San Leandro and Faith Franco from Duarte’s Boxing, out of Duarte California. Pettis was landing some very hard over hand rights and some good jabs but Franco, a southpaw found a way under those big punches and was working body head combinations. This bout was very close. But in the end the judges had to take in account 2 penalties from Pettis for illegal punching which cost her the bout. Both girls will be competing in Cincinnati, Ohio at the last chance qualifier for the Olympic Trials.

Other results on this outstanding card:

Paola Estrada, Olympic hopeful, 18 years old, Av Boxing Palm Desert decision Jamie Mitchell, Olympic hopeful, 26 years old, Salinas California.

Serena Rojas, 15 years old, who was corned by Eliza Olsen out of BabyFace boxing, Pacifica, CA won over Jessica Galvez, 14 years old, out of Mity Mites, Reno, Nevada.

Kayla Jones, 19 years old, Warm Springs Nation, Warm Springs, Oregon decision 18 year old Athena Hererra, AKA San Jose, California.

Iris Contreras 14 yrs old, DF Boxing Club, Oakland decision over Joselina Ortega, 14 years old, Velardes Boxing, Fresno, California.

Julia Contreras, 15 years old, DF Boxing Club, Oakland decision over Lizette Valencia, 15 years old, San Jose Boxing, San Jose, California.

Diane Estrada, 12 years old,West Portland Boxing Club, Oregon beat an undefeated Lupe Gutierrez, 12 years old, Shotgun Boxing, Sacramento. At the end of this bout Diane Estrada did 2 back flips which added to the incredible excitement of their phenomenal fight.

Saira Gutierrez, 15 years old, Caballeros Boxing, Sacramento decision Neesha Kahn, 14 year old, unattached, San Francisco, California.

Marisa Guilan, Mity Mites, Reno Nevada decision over Nancy Gutierrez, 15 years old, Caballero Boxing, Sacramento, California. This decision could have gone either way. It was very close.

USA Boxing Official, Pat Mc Tiernan, said, “This has been the best card he has ever officiated because every fight was matched evenly.” Robert Rodriguez the USA Northern California chief of officials paid special attention to details and had nine officials at the event. This was to prevent any lopsided or bad decisions. And this proved to be very successful. Celeste King, head official at the event said, “Many others talked about doing something like this but no one ever could put it together.”

Blanca Gutierrez, Eliza Olson and Martha Salazar with BabyFace Boxing, Lori Steinhorst with Bad Girls Boxing and all these female boxers made history September 10th . 15 Champions were crowned and received the first ever Beautiful Brawler Belt. This is just the beginning. We pulled it off without a hitch and we threw the best boxing show in California hands down.

We want to thank our sponsors: The Pacifica Moose Lodge, SJCC Cabinetry, Trinity Electrical, Hilders Builders, Pig Skin Productions, Eddy Barretto, BTIG and Craig Albers with Cantor Fitzgerald who made it possible for our dreams to come true.