He Gives Promoter a Weighty Problem

RESEDA — The weigh-in before a fight is boxing’s side show, an important but largely ceremonious affair in which measurements are recorded and glares exchanged.

Wolfgramm, a 334-pound Olympic silver medalist from the tiny nation of Tonga, makes the tale of the tape all the more interesting.

For the second time in three professional fights, Wolfgramm--his first name is Paea but he prefers to go by his last name--sent promoters scurrying for a scale with the capacity to measure the man mountain.

The Tongan highlights an intriguing undercard tonight at the Reseda Country Club.

“The scale we have doesn’t go over 300 pounds,” promoter Dan Goossen said. “If we can’t find a scale, we won’t be able to weigh him.”

Such was the case in December before Wolfgramm’s pro debut in Indio against 245-pound Jeff Kirk.

“The scale they had wouldn’t go over 300,” Wolfgramm said. “They [estimated] I was at 334.”

Wolfgramm knocked out Kirk in one round. He followed by stopping John Foster in the first round last week in Boston.

Wolfgramm’s goal is to slim to less than 300 as he makes his way up the heavyweight ranks.

“At the Olympics, I was 317,” he said.

Wolfgramm might have won a gold medal at Atlanta last summer had he not suffered a broken nose, broken hand and swollen ankle. He kept fighting, losing in the final to Vladimar Klichko of Ukraine, 7-3.

Wolfgramm fights Orlando Lavalle (1-0) of Albuquerque, N.M.

First bell is at 4:30 p.m. The fights will be televised live at 5 p.m. on the Fox Sports Network as the first in a series of “America Presents” programs.

Former Mexican Olympic welterweight Carlos Martinez (2-0) of Oxnard fights Cebien St. Pierre (0-1) of Bullhead City, Ariz., in a four-round bout.

Heavyweight Lance Whitaker of Granada Hills (3-0, two KOs) will face Marco Dixon of Sacramento (1-7-1) in a four-round bout. Adan Vargas of Mexico (17-1, five KOs) and Ernest Koffi of Africa (32-5, 31 KOs) will square off in a 10-round bantamweight bout.

The rest of the card includes Brandon Mitchem against Francisco Mendez, six rounds, welterweights; Jermaine Fields against Roberto Apodaca, four rounds, lightweights; and Ted Cofie against Ernie Valentine, six rounds, cruiserweights.

Tickets range from $35 to $100. Information: (818) 904-1320.