By Corey Erdman
When welterweight Joseph Elegele decided to take off the headgear and turn professional, he did so because he believed his raw power would carry him.
The Melbourne, FL. native, whose bout against Aaron Hernandez is the co-feature of this week's ESPN Friday Night Fights broadcast, made the bold jump after just 77 amateur fights.
"I think I always had a pro style, even in the amateurs I was knocking everybody out,” said Elegele. “I had nice power, real power in my left hand."
After 12 pro fights and now a seven-fight knockout streak, that confidence in his left hand certainly hasn't waned.
“Oh, (the streak) will continue,” said Elegele (12-0, 10 KO). “He's got a lot of weaknesses that really benefit me.”
Elegele has already used the ESPN platform to further his run of knockouts, stopping Willie Walton in his broadcast cable debut in July of 2010. The southpaw survived a scare in the first round, and rallied to knock down in the second, and out in the third.
Even while off television, Elegele's promoter Golden Boy Promotions has found him spots on high-profile undercards, most recently beneath his friend Andre Berto's lone loss to Victor Ortiz in April. “Biggie Boi,” as he is known, stopped Angel Hernandez in two rounds.
But it was perhaps that training camp that was the most significant moment of his career, rather than the domination of requisite gatekeepers and opponents. Elegele served as one of Berto's main sparring partners for the Ortiz bout, using his southpaw stance and heavy left hand to mimic the now-WBC welterweight titlist. The two also share trainer Tony Morgan in Winter Haven, FL.
“He's a little more advanced than I am, but he got good work,” said a humble Elegele of his time in the ring with Berto. “But sparring, hitting the mitts, just seeing how he handles everything, I've learned a lot from that.”
While he may be modest about his performance against the former champion, he is anything but meek when it comes to his own contests
Elegele certainly hopes that fans will want him back on television soon, but insists that they won't be seeing much of him on Friday night.
“It'll be fun...while it lasts,” said Elegele.
Corey Erdman is a member of the Yahoo boxing ratings committee, and a host at theScore on SIRIUS 158. Follow him on Twitter @corey_erdman.