It was one of those moments in boxing that makes every highlight reel and blooper show in the country.
Undefeated (6-0, 5 KOs) middleweight Kurtiss (pronounced Kur-teese, not Curtis) Colvin was having a highly entertaining scrap with Long Beach, California’s Cleven Ishe at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, in Cabazon, California, and live on ESPN Friday Night Fights, last July 22 when he knocked Ishe down with a looping right hand.
What made the moment a favorite on YouTube and a staple of every sport show’s highlights that week was Ishe’s reaction to the punch: he did a Popeye-style backward somersault from the force of the blow.
To his credit, Ishe got up, but a couple punches later, he was rescued by referee Lou Moret at 1:24.
“It was my first time on TV, so I had to make a statement,” laughs 25-year-old Colvin of the unforgettable knockdown. “I train for the best possible outcome in all my fights and that’s what that was. My trainer, Frank Tate, told me in all his years, he never saw a knockdown like that. I said ‘you have now and there’s more to come.'”
Watch the clip on Youtube here.
Before turning pro in 2009, Colvin was 45-5 as an amateur and on the USA National Team. He won the State Golden Gloves, and was ranked number one in Texas and number three in the country.
“I ran track for a long time and one day I ran for seven miles and came across this boxing gym and I went in,” recounts Colvin of his introduction to boxing. “I was mad at the world, so I started to hit the bag and must have looked bad because some guys were laughing. (Female boxing legend) Anne Wolfe came in and asked me why I was hitting the bag like that. She told me to hit it as fast as I can and I hit it very, very fast. She said do it again and I did. She said I had talent. I stopped doing track and have been boxing ever since.”
Now training at Hanks’ Gym in Houston (where he moved from his native Austin), Colvin has already won over some impressive believers. His promoter is one of the game’s best, Gary Shaw of Gary Shaw Productions. He is managed by Blanco Sports Management and trained by former world champion and Olympic Gold Medallist Frank Tate. Strength and conditioning coach Forrest Washington rounds out the team.
“Kurtiss is the nicest guy in the world, but he turns so mean in the ring,” says Shaw of his young prospect. “His style has been described as sugar and hot sauce because he can be slick, but he also has a lot of power. He’s a born entertainer with a ton of personality and I foresee big things in his future.”
Greg Kopel of Blanco says seeing Colvin fight for the first time, he knew he had tremendous potential. “We saw him as an amateur and were blown away. You could see his fierce desire. It stood out. Kurtiss has a personality and style of fighting that step off the page.”
Tate has some strong words about his fighter’s destiny. “You get Kurtiss in a championship fight I guarantee he will deliver. He wants it so bad it’s all he talks about. He pays the price. I don’t know too many boxers who will do forty rounds in one session. This kid will go in there and do forty rounds with thirty second rests.”
Tate also says Colvins unique fighting style will prove advantageous as he moves up the ladder.
“Kurtiss is the kind of fighter that does his own thing because he’s in his in own world. He can be relaxed sometimes and sometimes he goes all out. It’s hard to really describe him, which is good because it’ll be hard for people to figure him out. We’ll work on something but the day of the fight he’ll do something totally different, but it works for him, so I leave it alone.”
Colvin says he knows his animated demeanor in the ring can be mistaken for cockiness. “When I box, I have so much fun. A lot of people see it as cocky, but I’m really just having fun. I train so hard in the gym and give it my all and sometimes I hate those days of training, but when I fight, that’s the fun part of it. That’s when I have fun and showcase my talent.”
