(Universal Promotions)
Dmitriy Salita believes that Thursday night’s Big Time Boxing telecast in Puerto Rico captured its spirit perfectly.
In the main event, unbeaten Felix Parrilla, of New Haven, Connecticut, continued his winning ways, stopping Jose Velazquez, of Quellon, Chile, in two rounds at Coliseo Pedrin Zorrilla in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In the co-feature, however, veteran Derlyn Hernandez, of Monte Plata, Dominican Republic, knocked out and upset Abisael Cotto, of San Juan, showing the variety of the card.
On one hand, a prospect was showcased in the main event, while in the co-feature, an underdog pulled off an upset.
Hernandez, who now holds a record of 14-5-1 (12 KOs), entered Thursday’s bout coming off a knockout loss to Andres Cortes in October. Hernandez, 32, recorded his own Knockout of the Year candidate that stunned the crowd and ruined Cotto’s undefeated record.
“This is exactly what this series is about: real fights that are competitive, meaningful and exciting,” Salita told BoxingScene. “Abisael Cotto was in a true test against Hernandez and, even in defeat, showed a lot of heart in a tough, back-and-forth fight that had the crowd on its feet.”
Earlier this week, Cotto, 25, signed a co-promotional deal with Salita Promotions, which has promised to bring fights to Puerto Rico. Salita was impressed with Hernandez’s ability to snap his two-fight losing streak.
“Hernandez, on the other side, resurrected his career with a defining performance and showed he’s a legitimate world contender,” Salita said. “Those are the kinds of moments that build fighters and show who they really are.”
In the main event, Parrilla, 26, dominated a typically durable 36-year-old Velasquez, 34-13-3 (24 KOs). Parrilla, 13-0 (11 KOs), signed with Salita Promotions last year and received praise from the promoter.
“Felix delivered a big performance,” Salita said. “He showed he’s getting close to world championship level.”
Parrilla gave his own take on his performance in the ring.
“After the first round, I already knew he didn’t belong in there with me,” Parrilla said after the fight. “This is one more step closer to a world title, which I have been working toward since I was nine years old. We are just going to keep going, one fight at a time.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers…
2026-03-20 05:34:06
