Undefeated super lightweight Ty Cassell (5-0, 3 KOs) is only five fights into his professional career, but the rising Houston prospect is already eager to step outside his comfort zone and embrace a new challenge.
Cassell will fight outside the United States for the first time as a professional when he travels to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to face fellow unbeaten prospect Cristofer Peralta (3-0, 2 KOs) in a scheduled six-round bout at Coliseo Carlos Teo Cruz.
The event, co-promoted by BiYu Promotions and Shuan Boxing, will be broadcast live worldwide on CombatVisionTV. For Cassell, the trip represents another important step in his development as he looks to gain valuable experience, remain unbeaten and continue building momentum in the super lightweight division.
“I’m excited, man,” Cassell said. “It’s my first time fighting outside the country, I’m fighting another undefeated guy, and I know he’s going to be hungry. That’s what makes it fun. I don’t want to fight guys who are just coming in to survive. I want somebody who thinks he’s going to beat me.”
Before Cassell can enjoy the experience of traveling internationally, there is still work to finish at home.
Cassell has spent training camp in Houston with coach Adrian De La Garza, where the focus has been on making small improvements every day rather than trying to reinvent himself. At 5-0, Cassell is proud of the start he’s made, but he isn’t confusing a good beginning with a finished product.
“Camp has been hard, but that’s how Coach Adrian likes it,” Cassell said with a laugh. “He doesn’t really let me get comfortable. I can have a great day in the gym, and he’s still going to find something I could’ve done better. But I appreciate that because I know he’s trying to get the best out of me.”
Cassell believes that attention to detail is especially important now that the competition is beginning to get tougher.
“We’ve been working on everything,” he continued. “My defense, timing, combinations, knowing when to be patient and when to turn it up. I’m still young in this game. I don’t walk around acting like I know everything because I don’t. That’s why I have a coach. I listen, I work and I try to get better.”
There is something naturally intriguing about putting two young undefeated fighters in the same ring.
Cassell is 5-0 and Peralta is 3-0. Both believe their careers are headed somewhere. Neither intends to be the fighter whose perfect record disappears. Cassell respects what Peralta brings, but he also admits the matchup has put a little extra fire into his preparation.
“His zero definitely means something to me,” Cassell said. “He’s never lost, so he’s coming into this fight with confidence. I’m sure he’s looking at me thinking, ‘I’m going to give this guy his first loss.’ Well, I’m thinking the same thing about him.”
There is no disrespect behind Cassell’s words. He simply understands the nature of the business he chose.
“I respect him because he’s taking the fight too,” Cassell continued. “We’re both young and undefeated, and neither one of us had to take this kind of fight right now. But these are the fights that show you where you’re at. I believe in myself. I’m going there to win, and I want people watching on CombatVisionTV to remember my name when it’s over.”
Cassell admits there is something exciting about packing his bags and traveling to another country to fight. Everything will be a little different. The surroundings will be unfamiliar. The crowd may favor Peralta. Cassell won’t have the comfort of competing in Houston with familiar faces everywhere he looks. He’s looking forward to all of it.
“This is new for me, so of course I’m excited,” Cassell said. “I’ve never traveled outside the United States to fight. I’m going to another guy’s territory, and I know the crowd might not be cheering for me. That’s okay. I’m actually looking forward to feeling that.”
Cassell sees the experience as an early lesson in the type of career he hopes to have.
“If I accomplish what I want to accomplish in boxing, I’m going to have to fight in different places,” he said. “Maybe one day it’s New York, Vegas, England, Saudi Arabia, wherever. You can’t say you want to become a world champion and then only want to fight where you’re comfortable. This is a chance for me to start learning that now.”
Cassell doesn’t want to spend this stage of his career sitting around waiting for the perfect opportunity.
He wants to fight. There are things that happen during an actual bout that can’t be completely recreated during sparring. For a fighter with only five professional fights, Cassell believes those rounds are valuable.
“I want to stay busy,” Cassell said. “I’m 5-0. This is the time when I need to be fighting, learning and getting those rounds. You can spend months in the gym, but fight night is different. The lights are on, people are watching, and the guy across from you is really trying to beat you. That’s where you learn things about yourself.”
A victory over Peralta would move Cassell to 6-0 and give him his first win outside the United States. More importantly, it would be another small piece of evidence that he’s ready to keep moving forward.
“If I go to the Dominican Republic and beat another undefeated fighter, that’s a good win for me,” Cassell said. “It gives us something to build on. I’m not saying I need a world title fight tomorrow. I’m realistic about where I’m at. But I also don’t want to waste time. I want to keep stepping up, keep improving and eventually get myself into those bigger fights.”
BiYu Promotions President Bobby Harrison believes Cassell’s attitude is one of the reasons there is growing excitement around the young Houston fighter. Harrison isn’t interested in rushing Cassell through the developmental stage of his career, but he also doesn’t want to protect him from the challenges that will ultimately help determine what kind of fighter he can become.
“Ty is a young fighter who’s easy to root for because he genuinely wants to get better,” Harrison said. “He’s 5-0, but he doesn’t walk around like he’s accomplished everything already. He listens to Adrian, he works hard and he’s hungry. That’s what you want to see from a prospect.”
Harrison particularly likes the fact that Cassell welcomed the opportunity to face another unbeaten fighter away from home.
“This is a good test for Ty,” Harrison continued. “He’s traveling outside the country for the first time, he’s fighting a 3-0 kid who believes in himself, and he’s going to experience some things he hasn’t experienced before. That’s how you grow. We believe Ty has a lot of potential, but potential only means something if you’re willing to develop it. Right now, he’s doing everything we’re asking of him.”
Cassell isn’t trying to predict exactly where his career will be a year or two from now. He has dreams, of course. Every young fighter does. For now, though, his world is much smaller. Houston. Training camp. A flight to the Dominican Republic. Six rounds against another undefeated fighter. Then, if everything goes according to plan, 6-0.
“I’m just hungry to see how far I can take this,” Cassell concluded. “I love boxing. I love getting better, and I want to test myself. I’m thankful for the opportunity, but I’m not going to the Dominican Republic just to enjoy the trip. I’m going there to handle business. Then we come home, get back in the gym and figure out what’s next.”
