The dust has cleared, the wounds have mended, and Fillmore boxer Karim "Hard Hitta" Mayfield is gearing up for another comeback.
His last comeback, four months ago at the Paramount Arena in upstate New York, didn't go so well. That fight pitted Mayfield against junior welterweight Emmanuel Taylor, who won by unanimous decision despite getting knocked down in the eighth round. Although the judges' final scores caused a lot of puzzled muttering among Mayfield's fans, the boxer himself kept cool. He chalked the loss up to a shift in tactics; known in fighting circles as a pitbull, he'd tried a more classical boxing style this time around. "It didn't work out," he says.
So 33-year-old Mayfield is returning to the streets. In March he was unceremoniously dropped by promoter Top Rank after losing a bout to Puerto Rican Thomas Dulorme and after losing his manager, Marlon Sullivan, who was caught in the same federal corruption sting that ensnared Sen. Leland Yee. The July match against Taylor was widely characterized as a coup de grace, but Mayfield cautions against premature doomsaying. He's got another fight this Saturday at the Longshoreman's Hall, and if he clinches this one, he might have a title shot, somewhere in the distant future.
This time, Mayfield is going up against Honolulu boxer Michael Balasi, a heavily tatted southpaw who prides himself on working multiple jobs and training on the side. (Balasi calls himself the "Blue Collar Boxer.") To prepare, Mayfield spent the last month learning how to duck left-handed cross hooks under the tutelage of longtime friend Ben Bautista, who supplanted Mayfield's high-profile former trainer, Virgil Hunter. The Fillmore fighter is also living lean, eating a diet of fish, broccoli, and kale, and avoiding social media. He's launched a grassroots campaign to resurrect his career, ceding much of the nuts-and-bolts work to his brother LaRon and a small-time Sacramento-area promoter named Osric Pratt. He's cautiously optimistic.
"I'd say two more wins, and I'll have more offers coming to me," Mayfield says, adding that he hasn't lost sight of another major title. His last, against Mauricio Herrera of Riverside, happened in October 2012, and yielded a $50,000-plus purse. Returning to that halcyon point won't be easy: Mayfield went up against Herrera with an undefeated, 16-win record, a powerful overhand punch, and an entourage at least four men deep. While the two duked it out for 10 rounds, Mayfield's fans formed a bellowing chorus in the background. "Haaaard Hiiiiitta," they chanted in unison.
Saturday's fight comes with much lower stakes, but it could be a confidence booster. At this point, Mayfield just wants to taste another win. He'll worry about the rest later.
Comments are closed.
