East Bay Rats motorcycle club open their doors to boxing, burlesque

Fists of fuckin’ fury

Joe Cake straps in to fight. Boxers are equipped with regulation gloves and mouth guards before the fight, which adds to a semblance of safety. After the ritual of the bell, nothing is certain. While Cake won his bout this night, it was a mismatch by anybody’s standards.

Whip-it!

Stephen Alcata (left), the resident boxing coach at the Rats clubhouse 3025 San Pablo Ave., takes a shot to the face, although he did end up winning the match in two rounds. The crowd frothed with anticipation between two minute rounds, as each fight could just as easily be over in a flash as go the distance. Attendance for the event varies, and no hard numbers are kept, but the crowd was at max capacity for the entire night.

Girl on fire

Deaja Mkhallati, also known as Deaja Girl on Fire, spins a flaming hula-hoop in the boxing ring as part of a burlesque show, which served as the calm before the storm of punches raining down on anyone brave enough to get in the ring. Mkhallati is a fixture in the Sacramento burlesque and circus scene and has performed extensively in Sacramento and Oakland, including regular appearances at Tourettes Without Regrets at the Oakland Metro Operahouse.

All’s fair in love and war at fight night

Though there certainly are fights that are the result of bad blood, this was not one of them. Denise Cruz-Heamenez swung at her roommate Amy Robinson (above) after shotgunning some liquid courage. Despite being a long, tiring bout, both were all hugs and smiles after the towel was thrown.