‘Big 12’ Brown turns on the power in first pro fight
Published:Tuesday | March 1, 2022 | 12:09 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Jamaican boxer, Ricardo ‘Big 12’ Brown, is still celebrating after scoring a first-round knockout win over Bolivia’s Julio Enrique Cuellar Cabrera in his debut professional fight at the weekend in Brampton, Canada
Brown, who went into the fight aiming for a second-round knockout, achieved his target round earlier and although he was rattled early in the contest by a Cabrera right hand, he said he gathered himself and waited for his moment to strike.
“At the start of the fight he came out very hard and caught me with a good overhand right. My coach was shouting ‘one, two, one, two (jab),’ so I knew I had to react,” he said.
“I was jabbing and my left hand rocked him, and from that happened I said to myself, it is done, because if my left hand rocked him like that, then my right hand is going to knock him out.
“I was always planning and the focusing on that overhand right that he is going to throw. So I kept using my jab and looking for him to throw that overhand right.
“As soon as he threw that overhand right, that is when I unleashed the right hand.
“From the moment I hit him, I knew he was not going to get up because I felt it in my hand. Whenever I hit somebody really hard, I usually feel it in my hand, so I knew he was done and he was not going to get back up,” he recounted.
The heavyweight described the victory as amazing and believes his outstanding debut display will open up doors for him to have a successful future as a professional boxer.
“It is my first (pro) fight and to get a first-round knockout was amazing. This guy (Cabrera) has 15 knockouts and this is my first fight and I knocked him down.
“Everyone was telling me that he has 15 knockouts and I have to watch out but I told them when I enter the ring, I would let my hands do the talking.
“Going into the fight I wasn’t nervous. I was feeling good and I went and did my work,” he said.
“This fight will push my career a lot. I know I am strong and ready and I cannot wait for my next fight. I know my next fight will be even better because I will be working on more stuff to make sure I get more advanced,” he stated.
CALM AND CONFIDENT
He added that the support he received in the dressing room from his clubmates and coach before the fight gave him a sense of calm and confidence.
“I was in the changing room with Josh (Joshua Frazer) and a few more boxers and I was comfortable because I had my teammates there.
“I had my coach there talking to me and telling me that I look good and that this is my fight and not to worry.
“I didn’t go into the fight with an aggressive mentality. I was just cool and calm. I went to box because my coach already spoke to me and told me there is no reason to go all out early and that I should just relax and have fun and that is what I did,” he said.