CRANSTON, RI(Lub ob hlis ntuj 8, 2016) – Rising super featherweight star Toka “T-Zoo” Kahn-Clary(17-0, 11 Kos) returns to action this Saturday night against Mexican opponent Gabino “Flash” Cota (18-5-1, 16 Kos) at Sportsman Lodge in Studio City, California. A decorated American amateur boxer (131-11 cov ntaub ntawv), his career highlighted by a gold-medal performance at the 2010 Lub teb chaws Golden Cov hnab looj tes sib tw, Kahn-Clary is a native of Liberia who passed on a shot to make the 2016 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team, xa pro peb xyoo dhau los.
Kahn-Clary’s impressive second-round stoppage of Sergio “Cuatito” Lopez (19-10-1, 13 Kos) last November was supposed to lead him graduating to a 10-round fighter. His promoter Top Rank’s show no hnub vas xaum, headlined los ntawm Alex Saucedo vs. Clarence Booth, doesn’t have a single 10-round fight, in favor of three 8-rounders including Kahn-Clary vs. Cota.
“That really doesn’t matter to me,” Kahn-Clary said. “I trained to beat this guy, not how many rounds. I’m a lot better fighter than I was a year ago. I’m a lot more relaxed in the ring. I think more as I’m moving in the ring, adjusting a lot better, and my combinations are coming out a lot better.”
A former WBC FECOMBOX and Mexican featherweight champion, Cota is a dangerous opponent who has knocked out 16 ntawm lub 18 fighters he’s defeated as a professional.
“Cota may have lost four of his last six but they were all title fights or on television against name opponents,” Kahn-Clary lub taub hau tus kws qhia Peter Manfredo, Sr. sau. “He has some pop, throws a zillion punches and just keeps coming forward. This is a good step up for Toka.
“Toka is ready for this fight. He’s had a lot of good sparring. Toka is aggressive, well-conditioned, a good defensive fighter who can crack. There wasn’t a 10-round fight available on this card but we wanted this fight. Toka’s still only 23 so there’s no reason to rush things.”
Cota is battle tested having fought world title challengerJonathan Oquendo, Puerto Rico Olympian Orlando Cruzand Russian champion Andrey Klimov.
“I like fighting guys that come to me like Cota,” Kahn-Clary remarked. “It makes my job easier. I can setup my punches and fights against guys like this aren’t as much as a chess match. I’ll be landing hard shots and fans like that better than a chess match.”
Ua raws li Kahn-Clary rau Twitter thiab InstagramTokaKahnClary, los yog phooj ywg nws nyob rau Facebook ntawm www.Facebook.com/tokakahn.
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Tag Archives: Toka Kahn-Clary
Undefeated prospect Toka Kahn-Clary kawm tiav mus rau 10-round fighter
-tag nrho cov duab courtesy of Mikey Williams / Sab saum toj nyob qib-
CRANSTON, RI (Kaum Ib Hlis Ntuj 25, 2015) – After his impressive second-round stoppage of Sergio “Cuatito” Lopez (19-10-1, 13 Kos) kawg rau hnub Friday yav hmo ntuj nyob rau hauv The Cosmopolitan ntawm Las Vegas, undefeated xiav-nti featherweight prospect Toka “T-Zoo” Kahn-Clary (17-0, 11 Kos) muaj teb kawm tiav los ntawm ib tug yim rau kaum-round fighter.
“”Kuv ua tau zoo yog zoo,” Kahn-Clary looked back on his knockout of Lopez. “I didn’t do anything to make it a difficult fight. I was a little concerned that my opponent came in overweight (128 phaus. daim ntawv cog lus hnyav tab sis Lopez tiv kev txom nyem 132.2 lbs.), but I didn’t think too much of it. I really wanted to go four or five rounds for some more experience, tab sis kuv muab nws cia nyob rau hauv lub thib ob round nrog ib txoj cai nuv, thiab coj nws tawm. (Lopez yog tsis tau teb cov lus tswb rau peb puag ncig.)
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| (L-R) Toka Kahn-Clary thiab referee Jay Nady |
“Kuv mas nws yeej npaj txhij rau 10-rounders. (Lub taub hau tus kws qhia) Peter (Manfredo, Sr.) yeej ib txwm muaj kuv ua ib tug ntau ntawm txias ua hauj lwm. Peb sparred ib tug ntau ntawm rounds rau yim-round fights, so I’ve been ready for 10-round fights. I won’t be fighting again until next year, tab sis kuv mam li yuav rov qab nyob rau hauv lub gym tom ntej no Monday.”
Ib tug dai kom zoo nkauj American pib xyaum ua uas muaj ib tug 131-11 cov ntaub ntawv, tseem ceeb los ntawm ib tug kub-puav pheej kev ua tau zoo nyob rau 2010 Lub teb chaws Golden Cov hnab looj tes sib tw, Kahn-Clary dhau rau ib tug txhaj tshuaj rau ua kom lub 2016 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team, xa pro peb xyoo dhau los.
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| (L-R) – Lub taub hau tus kws qhia Peter Manfredo, Sr. & Toka Kahn-Clary |
“Kuv xav hais tias Toka ua ib tug loj daim ntawv thiab thiaj li tau ua rau sab saum toj nyob qib (Kahn-Clary tus neeg pab txhawb),” Manfredo added. “They’re so high on him that they want to put him in a big fight. I told them to give us a 10-round fight first, tej zaum nyob rau hauv Lub ib hlis ntuj Lub ob hlis ntuj los yog, and then we can talk about him fighting a top guy. There’s no rush; nws tsuas yog 23.
“Toka’s really maturing. He still doesn’t have ‘man strength’ but he’s getting there. He always works hard. He spars hard with bigger guys. He doesn’t just beat up a sparring partner, nws ntaus li lub gym, three or four fighters a session. And most of the time he’s sparring bigger guys and using big gloves.”
Yug nyob rau hauv Liberia, the 23-year-old Kahn-Clary is a rising star with lofty expectations. “Kuv xav los sib tw nyob rau sab saum toj theem,” he explained. “Xyoo tom ntej, I will keep working hard and hopefully fight some decent named opponents. I’m not ready for the top guys in my division, tseem tsis tau, tab sis kuv mam li yuav muaj nyob rau hauv lwm xyoo.”
Ua raws li Kahn-Clary rau Twitter thiab InstagramTokaKahnClary, los yog phooj ywg nws nyob rau Facebook ntawm www.Facebook.com/tokakahn.
Undefeated xiav-nti prospect Toka Kahn-Clary Liberia haiv neeg txiav txim siab nyob rau hauv lub npe America
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Mus tua Sergio Lopez no hnub vas xaum nyob rau hauv Las Vegas
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(tag nrho cov duab los ntawm Jeny nkauj hnub nraug hli Hernandez-Watson)
Providence (Kaum Ib Hlis Ntuj 16, 2015) — Undefeated featherweight prospect Toka “T-Zoo” Kahn-Clary (16-0, 10 Kos) tej zaum yuav qhov zoo tshaj plaws, kuj “tsis paub hais tias” prizefighter nyob rau hauv lub teb chaws, tsawg kawg sab nraum ntawm tshiab hais.
Ib tug dai kom zoo nkauj American pib xyaum ua uas muaj ib tug 131-11 cov ntaub ntawv, tseem ceeb los ntawm ib tug kub-puav pheej kev ua tau zoo nyob rau 2010 Lub teb chaws Golden Cov hnab looj tes sib tw, Kahn-Clary rov rau lub nplhaib no hnub vas xaum hmo ntuj (Nov. 20) nyob rau hauv The Cosmopolitan ntawm Las Vegas tiv thaiv Mexican tus nrog sib ntaus Sergio “Cuatito” Lopez (19-9-1, 13 Kos) nyob rau hauv dab tsi yog yuav tsum tau Kahn-Clary lub xeem teem yim-round bout ua ntej nws kawm tiav mus rau 10-rounders.
“Nws yog ib tug tawv Mexican fighter uas yuav thawv ib tug me ntsis nyob rau sab nraum,” Kahn-Clary tham txog nws lub tom ntej no tus nrog sib ntaus, “tab sis nws los rau pem hauv ntej, heev. Nws yog tej thiab tau nyob rau hauv nrog ib tug ntau ntawm zoo tw.”
Lopez yog ib tug loj kev kuaj rau tej zeem muag. His last three fights include a loss to 18-0 Alejandro nkauj hnub nraug hli (KO4) no yav dhau los lub yim hli ntuj, 10-puag ncig cais kos nrog 24-7-1 Joksan Hernandez, thiab ib tug stunning thib tsib-round kev knockout ntawm 16-0 Victor Betancourt.
“Lopez yog ib tug gamer,” Kahn-Clary lub taub hau tus kws qhia Peter Manfredo, Sr. ntxiv. He’s tough but our plan is for Toka to take him apart and eventually take him out. Toka’s not far away from a really big fight, tej zaum 8-10 lub hlis. We were offered a big fight but, peb xav tau ib tug 10-round sib ntaus thawj, thiab nws tau hais tias kev sib ntaus thaum ntxov xyoo tom ntej.”
Kahn-Clary, sib ntaus sib tua tawm ntawm Providence, yog los tawm nws feem ntau tseem ceeb yeej raws li ib tug kev xeem rau hli ntuj, nyob rau hauv uas nws tshaj li nyob rau hauv chav kawm mus rau noj nyob rau hauv 33-11 Jonathan Perez, lub qub Colombian super bantamweight thiab ntiaj teb Boxing Council (Qhov) champion. Kahn-Clary stopped Perez in the sixth round of their fight on a card headlined by Timothy Bradley'S nruab nrab ntiaj teb no welterweight title yeej tshaj Jessie Vargas ntawm StubHub Center nyob rau hauv Carson, California.
Lub 23-xyoo-laus, uas twb yug los Toka Kahn, will never face obstacles in the ring more difficult to overcome than his early life experiences. Now a blue-chip prospect, he was born in Liberia and came to America with his younger sister to join their father when he was only six. He lived in Philadelphia only one year before his father was killed in a shooting. Toka’s arduous journey continued as he and his sister moved to Providence, qhov uas lawv nyob nrog niam qhuav txiv qhuav cov niam txiv uas, frankly, puas tau tsis tu dab tsi tshwm sim rau lawv.
Tag nrho tej yam tshwm sim taw mus rau Toka tau nyob rau hauv cov teeb meem nyob rau hauv cov Providence txoj kev raws li ib tug youngster, tshwj xeeb ntawm lub sij hawm, thaum nws tsis muaj tsev nyob yog. Qhov zoo ces, tab sis yog, ib tug phooj ywg coj nws mus rau Manfredo lub Gym nyob rau hauv Pawtuckert, RI. Boxing truly saved his life. Manfredo, Teb chaws USA Boxing Tshiab hais tus thawj tswj hwm Jim Perella thiab ob peb tias nws thiaj li tau txais nws, Andrea Watson thiab Ron Clary, dramatically hloov nws lub neej.
Kahn-Clary kos npe rau ib daim ntawv cog lus nrog rau sab saum toj promotional nyob qib, uas, nrog rau tus thawj saib xyuas Mike Criscio thiab Manfredo, tau tsiv Kahn-Clary ntawm ib tug neeg twg, upward pace. Kahn-Clary, incidentally, yuav tsum sib ntaus sib tua rau lub sij hawm xyoo no, tom qab muaj tsib xyoo tas los.
 “Sab saum toj nyob qib tau ua ib txoj hauj lwm kom kuv tibneeg hu tauj coob,” southpaw Kahn-Clary commented. “I know that it takes time to climb the ladder and I still need to improve a few things. I need to beat a top fighter to get into the world rankings. I’ll be ready when I get that call.“Kuv npaj txhij txoj cai tam sim no rau ib tug 10 los yog 12 puag ncig kev sib ntaus. I’ve done a lot of sparring to help me get ready to step up. I’m excited about fighting 10 thiab 12 round fights because it’ll be a test for me and I love to be test. The top guys in my division are the (Gary) Russell, (Cawmseejl) Lomachenkothiab (Tsov ntxhuav) Raug Cruz. I have the skills and heart to compete with them.”
Zoo sparring hauv New England yog nyob ib tug nqi, tshwj xeeb tshaj yog rau ib tug me me-ceeb thawj fighter xws li Kahn-Clary, uas muaj gained invaluable kev sparring nrog WBA super featherweightJavier Fortuna (29-0-1, 21 Kos), peb-lub sij hawm US Olympian Rau'shee Warren thiab nws cov kwv Tshiab hais thiab cov phooj ywg, New Haven’s Luis “KO King” Rosa (21-0, 10 Kos).
“Peter (Manfredo) thiab kuv taug kev mus rau Worcester (MA) thiab Connecticut tau zoo ua hauj lwm,” the gifted boxer-puncher Toka-Kahn explained. “It’s been a great help for me. I’ve gotten a lot of valuable experience in there with fighters like Fortuna and Warren. Kuv twb pom lawv cov nplhaib generalship, lawv lub zog, and I’ve learned from them. They’re smart. I’ve learned from them, even try to copy them. It’s not just about sparring, uas yog ib tug kawm kev. Yog hais tias koj tsis paub los ntawm sparring, tag nrho koj yuav puas tau yuav yog ib tug sparring tus khub.”
Manfredo tau nyob ib ncig ntawm thiab nws realizes hais tias nws nqi zog me nyuam kawm ntawv, Kahn-Clary, will need to go away to training camp for good sparring when he starts fighting 10-rounders. “Kuv zoo phooj ywg nrog Freddie Roach thiab peb yuav tsum tawm mus rau California thiab qhia nyob rau qus Card Gym,” Manfredo concluded. “I’m very happy with the way Toka’s been moved. I have faith in Brad Goodman, uas yog ib tug ntawm qhov zoo tshaj plaws, if not the best matchmaker in the world. They’ve moved Toka along at a good pace. They know what they’re doing.”
Meanwhile, Toka Kahn-Clary plans to make his name in boxing next year. Thawj, tab sis yog, nws muaj los mus tau txais yav tas Lopez no hnub vas xaum hmo ntuj kom nws momentum mus.
Ua raws li Kahn-Clary rau Twitter thiab InstagramTokaKahnClary, los yog phooj ywg nws nyob rau Facebook ntawm www.Facebook.com/tokakahn.
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