23-year-old featherweight prospect Brandon "Bring The Pain" Despain was raised in Michigan and has been fighting out of the Fort Worth Suburb of Haltom City since 2018. He became an amateur stand-out and highly touted prospect. He has been a victim of not one but two bogues decisions three fights into his career, including in his last outing back in January. Despain looks to bounce back after the second egregious decision. Back in January of this year, the Haltom City resident dropped a completely bogus four-round decision to Moses Sixto at the Southern Junction Night Club in Irving. In a fight, Despain dominated with his jab and movement and boxed circles around and outclassed his opponent. Despain was handed one of the hardest luck, bogus, decisions in recent memory. With two of the three judges favoring Sixto. It was the second bad decision in four months. In his pro debut in Austin last September, he had to settle for a draw with Luis Fernandez. A brutal low blow in the opening round, a round that DeSpain was in complete control of, was ruled a knockdown giving the round to Fernandez. Despite the knockdown, DeSpain rolled through the final three rounds of the fight and seemed to have done enough, despite the low blow ruled knockdown. Everyone in the venue thought DeSpain had won! Instead, the north Texas resident had to settle for a draw. DeSpain explained the reaction from his team. "I dont ever hear my coach swear and to see him react the way he did you know something was wrong. If you go back and watch the fight you hear me yelling at Hector [Vazquez], the promoter, I want the rematch!"
He has not been deterred and is back in camp and has two fights on the docket. After being close to calling it quick following the second bad decision in three fights. DeSpain explained, "it was close for me, calling it there after two hard decisions ... but my coaches they kept checking on me, telling me I got talent, dont let anything happen. My coaches were checking on me daily. Checking my health, seeing when I was coming back, making sure my mind was right and anything I needed, they were there for me. I did have some thoughts [of quitting] my gym, my coaches, they made sure I stayed in."
DeSpain is back in camp and working hard, making adjustments. "Camp has been way more intense. I don't want to risk getting any more losses or draws on my record...I've been working on countering a little more and throwing a little more so we don't have that [bad decisions] again."
It's all about adjustments for the 23-year-old featherweight, who learned the fight game up north training in Michigan. He put together an outstanding amateur career that includes wins over Keyshawn Davis in the National Silver Gloves and PBC's former prospect of the year Joey Spencer also of Michigan. He had to adjust and learn a new style when relocating to Texas. Despain explained the process "it's different up north it's all boxing. I came down here and slugged, which helped me out big time. Now I can get to where I can hit hard and sit down. We accomplished a lot as an amateur. I came up here real tense. Boxing up there, it's hit and move, hit and move. Down here you need to be more relaxed so you can stay in the pocket. I feel like I adjusted pretty quickly. I came here in October of 2018 and didn't fight till the Gloves. I accommodated and got decent with everything. I wanna say I got decent with everything. I had to get a whole new style."
The touted prospect has put the bad decisions behind him and has a positive outlook on it all "1-1-1 it's not great but it's a start I can build from it I'd rather take em now than later in my carer" DeSpain looks to bounce back on October 22nd in his home state of Michigan an opportunity he is looking forward to "its an amazing feeling this is my first pro fight in Michigan I got a lot of people contacting me, asking me am I on this card if I am going to show out. It's a big thing for me to go back a lot of those people in Michigan still stick with me and I got a lot of people in Texas I got a lot of people who will travel to see me and that's a 19-hour drive" he explained. After the homecoming fight, it's back to the Southern Junction in Irving to fight unbeaten Fort Worthian Gary Hampton.
The plan is to stay active and fight every two to three months "I would love to fight every other month but it depends on what the promoter is offering... I would love to be able to fight every other month, if not every third month. We were working with the promoter who is doing the December card, he is trying to work out a little contract, and a couple of fights, and we will see how that goes. If it goes well we'll fight hopefully every other month" The talent and skill are still all there despite the blemishes on his record DeSpain will still be a problem for anyone at 126-pounds. He was good enough to beat Davis, who was regarded as USA's best prospect, and Joey Spencer. That's the level of skills DeSpain possesses. He is confident he can get to the level that those two are operating an optimistic DeSpain said Everyone has their time to shine. I'm young, I'm in the game for a long time."