If fighting were a subject taught in grade school, Darrelle Valsaint would have been seen as a model student. Since fighting is frowned upon outside of certain parameters, though, young Valsaint gained a reputation as a bit of a troublemaker in Orlando, Florida.
How many school districts were in the surrounding area? Ten? He got kicked out of all of them. Then he found boxing.
His mom didn’t have cable TV, but the nine-year-old signed them up for access. “By mistake,” the now 20 year old middleweight prospect will tell you. Clicking channels, he set upon an old Floyd Mayweather fight. “I fell in love with boxing right there,” he recalls. He grabbed toilet paper, wrapped his hands up, and told mom he’d found his purpose.
OK, not in those exact words, but the sentiment holds. From then on, his rebelliousness mellowed. “Without boxing, I’d be dead or in jail,” he told writer Lucas Carroll. “I stayed in the gym, and it's been paying off. I felt like I was home. So, I fight for a better life. I fight for my kids that I don’t even have yet.”
Valsaint, a 6-1 switch-hitter, earned the nickname “Blast” when gym-mates noted that his launches detonated like mini explosions. He actually debuted as a pro in November 2020, and went to 2-0 as a professional before taking part in the postponed 2020 summer Olympics, repping Haiti in July 2021.
Truth be told, “Blast” has a style and mindset suited for the pro ranks. All four of the middleweights’ victories have come via KO and the Orlando product is enjoying picking up seasoning along the way. In June 2022, he trekked to Panama, and wasn’t put off being the out-of-towner, finishing 12-1 Encarnacion Diaz in round one of a scheduled six.
Comparing footage from his first pro fight to now, one sees Valsaint’s ring generalship is vastly improved, he’s being more patient and cerebral, and is now setting his feet where he’s getting better angles on opponents.
Those principals should know, this is a pretty darn fine student after all.
