Boxing Insider is hosting Holiday Fight Night 3 at Sony Hall in Manhattan on Tuesday, December 17. The Boxing Tribune will be attending once again to provide more live coverage.
Donte Layne has showcased true menacing power in each of his five professional bouts thus far, knocking out every opposing fighter with what seems to be absolute ease.
The southpaw super middleweight hailing from Elmont has shown that his unique, non-traditional fight style simply works. Rather than study his opponent as an initial, early game plan — which a majority of today’s fighters choose to do — Layne prefers to get busy straight out of the gate, instilling his thrashing combos and jarring lead hand while he goes for the early kill.
Interestingly enough, not only has Layne won each of his five bouts by knockout, but not a single fighter has made it past three minutes with him. Layne, since the amateurs, has incorporated this new tactical power into his game just within the last year and a half since becoming a professional.
As Boxing Insider noted in their profile of Layne, “He did not display an awful lot of power in the amateur ranks, but he’s mowed down his first five pro opponents rather routinely.”
The New Yorker will be fighting in his sixth bout since August 2023 at Sony Hall on Boxing Insider’s card, a type of activity that the sport so desperately needs from belt holders and ranked contenders.
Maybe these talented young prospects are here to change the game?
So far with Layne at least, that seems to be the case.
Additionally, Layne has the full package to be a star in the sport, garnering attention across social media due to his entertaining slug matches, with a strong backing from OTX, undoubtedly helping him get clicks and plays from the more mainstream fight fans across social media.
One thing that will ensure Layne reaches stardom is how consistent he stays early on. More specifically, as we know, most fighters progress into the limelight and seemingly cherry pick, or fight once to twice a year, while expecting a fat pay day due to follower count or as a result of a few convincing, viral wins — but not Layne.
He will face off against Pachino Hill 8-7-2 (6 KO’s) out of Davenport, Iowa, who began his career 7-0-1 before tallying an 0-6-1 record in his last seven.
But, in six of Hill’s seven defeats, he has battled against unbeaten opponents who combine for a whopping record of 54-0.
Clearly, Hill does not duck any competition, so this fight will likely prove to be entertaining.
My prediction? Layne by knockout yet again — but I believe Hill will prove a bit more challenging than expected early on.
Jack Walsh is a New York-based journalist, currently working at a television station as a real time editor, and also an amateur boxer. He hopes to continue diving into the journalistic side of boxing and provide a unique, independent perspective. His work has also appeared in Boxing News Online.