Melissa St. Vil Returns to Fight in Hometown Brooklyn
By David A. Avila
For the first time in three years Melissa St. Vil fights within driving distance when she fights Mayra Hernandez.
St. Vil (10-3-4) faces Oklahoma’s undefeated Hernandez (6-0, 4 KOs) in an eight round featherweight clash at Kings Theater in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday Sept. 29.
Since 2015 St.Vil has fought in Finland, New Zealand, China, and in her native Haiti, though she’s lived in Brooklyn for the past several years. In that time she has captured the WBC Silver super featherweight title when she defeated former world champion Katy Wilson Castillo in China.
“It was my favorite fight,” says St.Vil of her battle with Dominican Republic’s Castillo in July 2016.
But now, she finally fights in front of her many fans and friends.
“I’m very excited,” said St.Vil, 35, whose boxing outfit was designed by newly crowned WBC super middleweight titlist Franchon Crews. “I’ll be looking good because Franchon hooked me up.”
Opposing the effervescent St. Vil will be Oklahoma’s hard-hitting Hernandez who currently has a two-fight knockout streak. It’s rare in female boxing when a prizefighter has any kind of knockout streak. Maybe because of the two-minute rounds or maybe because of the lack of punching power.
St. Vil is not worried.
“I don’t worry about my opponent. That’s my team’s job,” said St. Vil who trained in Philadelphia for this fight. “I worry about myself and make sure that I’m at my best.”
The Brooklyn-based prizefighter has one goal in mind: to meet current WBC super featherweight Eva Wahlstrom in a rematch after their first bout last April ended in a much disputed majority decision loss in Finland.
Despite Wahlstrom hitting the ground after a punch, the referee ruled it a slip and after 10 very engaging rounds Wahlstrom was declared the winner. A rematch was supposed to take place but St. Vil remains in wait. That’s why she accepted this fight at a lower weight. She did not want to lose her place in line.
“My goal after this fight is to get my rematch with Eva because she knows that I won that fight,” said St.Vil. “And I’m still ranked number one for the WBC.”
St. Vil is back at home.