Texas has long been a hotbed for boxing, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, The Rio Grande Valley have all produced multiple world champions in recent years. The tiny border town of Del Rio and its population of barely 35,000 has not really made its mark on the Texas boing landscape. Until now. Hard-hitting, undefeated welterweight prospect Hector Coronado scored a sensational one-punch knockout on an absolutely thudding left hook in the second round of Saturday night's fight in Austin, Texas. Fighting a much taller and somewhat awkward opponent in Daniel Wright. Using the first round as a feeling-out process, the Del Rio native quickly exploded with the vicious left hook which came seemingly out of nowhere that dropped Wright like a building collapsing on himself to move Coronado to 6-0(5). Coronado who also serves as a firefighter in Del Rio took the fight above his natural weight class. Typically a welterweight Coronado did not shy away from fighting at 154. Saying postfight "the guy was huge and caught me a couple of times and we adapted and thank God we got the job done" The height and size advantage seemed to have no impact on the much more skillful Coronado who does plan on moving back down to 147 in his next fight and hopes to be back in the ring in late October.
Additionally. two other up-and-comers had star-making performances. Malik "One Punch" Calhoun, who is originally from Kansas City, Missouri, and now fights out of FHG gym with coach Ray Barrera, in Fort Worth. A gym that has produced the likes of John Vera, Edward Vazquez, and Jesse Angel Hernandez in recent years. One-Punch once again lived up to his nickname and scored a spectacular one-punch knockout a body shot that knocked the air out of his opponent Alejandro Heredia and left him on all fours for the full 10-count plus several additional seconds. Calhoun moved his record to 2-0 (2) with both knockouts coming by way of one of one-punch knockout.
In the main event of the night in the Lightheavyweight division (175 lbs) at 4 rounds, the Nigerian-based Nosa Divine who now fights out of Austin prevailed via unanimous decision. Outworking and outhustling DeQuint Hill, Hill rallied late in the final round scoring with a scorching right hand with about 40 seconds left in the final round. However, it wasn't enough as Divine's snappy right jab and volume was enough to win what was a strategic affair by scores of 39-36 on all three cards
With any great night of boxing, it's not without its controversy as Brandin DeSapin of Fort Worth who suffered two brutal low blows had to suffer again and settle for a draw in a fight nearly everyone thought he won handily. Outboxing and throwing beautiful double-left hooks and catching his aggressive opponent, Luis Fernandez, with hard check hooks. Fernandez goes to 1-0-1 and DeSapin is 0-0-1, who, rightfully upset protested for a rematch. The Fort Worthian was an amateur standout who has an amateur victory over Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis. DeSpain had already advanced to the next round when Fernandez failed to make weight.
The rest of the results of the tournament were as follows in the heavyweight division Dionardo Minor advanced with a unanimous decision victory over Vercel Webster. In a middleweight bout, Davelle Smith stopped Ricky Evans in the first round. In the lightweight division Atanacio "Nacho" Perez scored a hard-fought majority decision over Nathaniel Bonner.
The next stage of The Big Belt Championship will be October 1st in mesquite and will be headlined by middleweight Marco Vazquez and welterweight Jake Ysasi