SPRINGDALE, Ark. — Kalvin ‘Hot Sauce’ Henderson grew up with two passions.
“You can’t major in boxing and there’s no boxing team at the University of Arkansas, so of course I had to go for my second love which was music,” Henderson said.
He was on the Hog Wild band, and graduated from Arkansas with a degree in music education, but he couldn’t stay away from his first love.
“I called my mom after graduation and was like, ‘Hey mom, I think I’m going to stay up here and pursue this boxing stuff.”
As Henderson likes to say, he went from beating drums to beating opponents.
“I think I made the right choice,” Henderson said. “Ranked number 10 in the world (by the WBA), currently 15-2 in professional career. I’ve flown all over the country, all over the world, so this is amazing man.”
When he’s not in the ring, Hot Sauce Henderson is passing down his love of the sport to members of the Northwest Arkansas community, including players on the Arkansas men’s basketball team.
“They’re trying to get what I call that dawg session,” Henderson says.
Every summer for the past four years, Hogs' head coach Eric Musselman brings his guys in for a training session with Henderson at Straight Right Boxing and Fitness in Springdale.
“They have no idea what to expect,” Henderson said. “These guys come in, they’re used to being in the A/C-controlled climate, the basketball gyms, at their own pace. When they come here, it’s something completely different.”
Hot Sauce brings the heat and makes sure the Hogs don’t leave without a sweat.
“We don’t run A/C in here,” Henderson said. “I think they love it. They always hit me up on Instagram with wanting to come back at different times and get some more training in.”
So while Henderson awaits his next pro fight, he’s just happy to share his first love with those who want to pick it up too.
“They come in, leave all their problems at the door, come in here and get a great workout—I was talking trash to them the whole workout,” Henderson said. “And really just lose themselves for that hour, hour and a half.”
“We’re not just some random mom-and-pop gym. We actually change lives and slim thighs around this way baby.”
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