Junior welterweight Kevin Brown may not be far from a title shot, but his journey has been anything but easy. In his last fight, Brown, a decorated Cuban amateur, secured a hard-fought split decision victory over Idalberto Umara, a bout that taught him valuable lessons he hopes to apply in his next fight.
Brown is now preparing for his upcoming fight against John Bauza on Sept. 6 at the Caribe Royale Orlando in Orlando, Fla.
Reflecting on his transition from a distinguished amateur career to the professional ranks, the 30-year-old Brown (5-0, 3 KOs) appears to view this new chapter as both a challenge and an opportunity.
“I believe I’m a step away from the title,” Brown said through a translator. “Every guy they put in front of me, my manager and promoter are doing their job. I think I’ll be fighting for a title in a short time if we keep going the way we are now.”
Training under the guidance of renowned trainer Ismael Salas at the Salas Boxing Academy in Las Vegas, Brown feels well-prepared for the road ahead. Despite his success in the amateur ranks, where he defeated several Olympic Cuban champions, Brown cited limited opportunities as the impetus for his move to the professional circuit.
“I don’t have too much of a future in amateurs,” Brown said. “They didn’t open the door for me as I wanted.”
Now focused on his professional career, Brown is determined to become a titleholder. His last fight was a tough test – he hit the canvas in the fourth round but managed to secure the win. That experience underscored the challenges of professional boxing. Notably, four of Brown’s five professional fights have been ten-round bouts, with his debut scheduled for eight rounds, signaling his rapid progression toward a title shot.
“Every fight is different,” Brown said. “What I learned from my last fight is simple: when you have a big fight, you need to put everything on the table.”
His upcoming opponent, 26-year-old John Bauza (18-1, 8 KOs) from Puerto Rico, has only one loss on his record, a defeat to Richardson Hitchins. Bauza, now residing in New Jersey, is the most accomplished opponent Brown has faced as a pro. Despite Bauza having three times the amount of professional experience, Brown remains confident.
“We know how to handle whatever comes,” Brown said.
Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.
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