Boxing promoter Blanca Gutierrez' annual "Beautiful Brawlers" tournament has established a platform for the best female amateur talent from across the world to shine on since 2011.
With six equally successful tournaments under her belt, she is ready to take her game to the next level and write a new chapter in the Beautiful Brawlers legacy as she and Baby Face Boxing proudly present the Beautiful Brawlers Pro Female Fight Series.
The series – which will consist of four or five separate events – kicks off Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Pacifica Cages next door to Gutierrez' Baby Face gym at 640 Crespi Drive.
While it separates itself from the traditional Beautiful Brawlers tournament by hosting professional bouts, the Beautiful Brawlers Pro Female Fight Series will continue the tradition of showcasing and empowering female fighters.
Billed "Boxing Meets Beauty," the inaugural show will be a five-fight card headlined by former world champions and Baby Face ambassadors "Mighty" Melissa McMorrow and Martha "The Shadow" Salazar.
Gutierrez' younger sister Lizzy – also known as YouTube sensation WhatWouldLizzyDo – will also host a special "Beauty Meets Boxing" meet and greet prior to the show from 5 to 6 p.m.
Unlike the Beautiful Brawlers tournaments where she matches 30 fights, Gutierrez faced the difficulty of matching only five fights at the professional level.
She also said the timing of her show is perfect following the recent waves Claressa Shields made not just at this year's Rio Olympics on August 21, but also her highly-anticipated and successful pro debut on the Sergey Kovalev-Andre Ward undercard in Las Vegas on Nov. 19.
Two-time flyweight champ McMorrow, who faces Blanca Raymundo (1-15-1, 0 KOs) in a scheduled six-round bout, made the trip to Vegas and said it was exciting seeing Shields compete on the undercard of a fight the caliber of Kovalev vs. Ward.
The Raymundo fight marks the first time McMorrow has competed in the Bay Area since fighting to a draw with Gloria Salas in San Jose in December 2009.
She has since fought five times in the United States from 2010 to 2011 and fought abroad for the last four years, including five outings in Mexico.
McMorrow, who is coming off a tough decision loss to Esmeralda Moreno on Oct. 22, said she is excited to compete at home and looks forward to rebounding from her loss and putting on a great show for the crowd.
Salazar (13-5, 3 KOs) will reacquaint herself with Tanzee Daniel (4-4-1, 1 KO) in a four-round rematch of their November 2014 encounter where Salazar seized the vacant WBC women's title in dominant fashion.
Her championship victory has since presented her and Gutierrez with a few career opportunities, including a recent appearance at the second-annual WBC Female Convention earlier this year.
The WBC has showed vast support for the Baby Face family recently and even sponsored some of their amateur titles for the two previous Beautiful Brawlers tournaments – further cementing Gutierrez' belief that the WBC is the best sanctioning body in the sport.
Gutierrez said that while Saturday's show mainly focuses on Bay Area talent, she will extend invitations for future shows to other notable talent from throughout the U.S., including the Serrano sisters (Amanda and Cindy), Maricela Cornejo, Ava Knight and Raquel Miller.
Tickets for "Boxing Meets Beauty" are available online at the Baby Face Boxing website and through any of the local fighters competing on the card. Ringside sells for $75 and general admission sells for $50. Tickets for the "Beauty Meets Boxing" meet and greet are also available on the Baby Face website. Doors open at 6 p.m.