(sadaya gambar ku Jeny Luna Hernandez-Watson)

PROVIDENCE (Nopember 16, 2015) — Prospek featherweight undefeated Toka “T-nice” Kahn-Clary (16-0, 10 KOs) bisa jadi anu pangalusna, rélatif “teu dikenal” prizefighter di nagara, sahenteuna luar New England.

A amatir American dihias anu kungsi 131-11 catetan, disorot ku kinerja emas-medal di 2010 Sarung Golden National Pasanggiri, Kahn-Clary mulih deui ka ring Saptu ieu wengi (Nov. 20) di The kosmopolitan ti Las Vegas ngalawan lawan Méksiko Sergio “Cuatito” Lopez (19-9-1, 13 KOs) di naon anu sakuduna jadi tukang dijadwalkeun dalapan buleud bout Kahn-Clary sacara saméméh anjeunna lulusan ka 10 rounders.

“Manéhna hiji bajoang Méksiko tangguh anu bisa kotak saeutik dina luar,” Kahn-Clary ngomong ngeunaan lawan saterusna-Na, “tapi manéhna asalna maju, oge. Anjeunna ngalaman jeung geus di jeung loba lawan alus.”

Lopez salah sahiji tes serius keur prospek mana wae. His last three fights include a loss to 18-0 Alejandro Luna (KO4) ieu Agustus katukang, 10-buleud split ngagambar jeung 24-7-1 Joksan Hernandez, jeung nu kalima buleud knockout téhnis stunning of 16-0 Koswara Betancourt.

“Lopez anu kesel a,” Kahn-Clary sacara sirah palatih Peter Manfredo, Sr. ditambahkeun. 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, tiasa waé 8-10 bulan. We were offered a big fight but, urang butuh salah 10 buleud fight kahiji, sarta manéhna meunang perang nu awal taun saterusna.”

Kahn-Clary, pajoang kaluar ti Providence, aya nu datang off meunangna paling kasohor minangka profésional Juni pamungkas, di mana manéhna stepped nepi di kelas pikeun nyokot dina 33-11 Jonathan Perez, urut super bantamweight Colombian jeung World tinju Council (WBC) juara. Kahn-Clary stopped Perez in the sixth round of their fight on a card headlined by Timoteus Bradley'S judul welterweight dunya interim meunang leuwih Jessie Vargas di StubHub Center di Carson, California.

23 taun heubeul, anu lahir 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, tempat cicing jeung kolot angkat anu, terus terang, teu paduli naon anu lumangsung kana éta hal.

Sadaya tanda nunjuk kana Toka meunang dina kasulitan di jalan Providence salaku youngster a, utamana dina waktu, waktu manehna homeless. Untungna, sanajan, babaturan dibawa ka Manfredo sacara Gym di Pawtuckert, RI. Boxing truly saved his life. Manfredo, Présidén USA tinju New England Jim Perella jeung pasangan nu antukna diadopsi manéhna, Andrea Watson jeung Ron Clary, nyirorot robah hirupna.

Kahn-Clary nandatanganan kontrak promosi jeung Top réngking, nu mana, babarengan jeung manager Mike Criscio jeung Manfredo, tos ngalih Kahn-Clary dina ajeg, Pace ka luhur. Kahn-Clary, saliwatan, bakal pajoang pikeun katilu kalina taun ieu, sanggeus ngabogaan lima taun ka tukang.

“Top réngking geus dipigawé pakasaban alus ngajaga kuring riweuh,” 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.

“Abdi siap ayeuna keur 10 atawa 12 fight buleud. I’ve done a lot of sparring to help me get ready to step up. I’m excited about fighting 10 jeung 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, (Wearyl) Lomachenkojeung (Singa jalu) Santa Cruz. I have the skills and heart to compete with them.”

Quality sparring di New England aya dina premium a, utamana keur bajoang leutik-beurat saperti Kahn-Clary, anu geus miboga pangalaman invaluable sparring jeung WBA super featherweightJavier Citatah (29-0-1, 21 KOs), tilu-time US Olympian Rau'shee Warren nya sasama New England jeung babaturan, New Haven’s Luis “KO Raja” Rosa (21-0, 10 KOs).

“Petrus (Manfredo) jeung kuring indit Worcester (MA) jeung Connecticut pikeun meunangkeun karya alus,” 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. Kuring geus katempo generalship ring maranéhanana, gerakan maranéhanana, 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, nu mangrupakeun pangalaman diajar. Mun anjeun teu diajar ti sparring, sagala gé kungsi jadi nyaéta pasangan sparring.”

Manfredo geus kira-kira sarta manéhna nyadar yén siswa hadiah-Na, Kahn-Clary, will need to go away to training camp for good sparring when he starts fighting 10-rounders. “Aku babaturan alus jeung Freddie Roach jeung urang gé rék kaluar ka California jeung ngalatih di Wild Card Gym,” Manfredo concluded. “I’m very happy with the way Toka’s been moved. I have faith in Brad Goodman, anu mangrupa salah sahiji anu pangalusna, if not the best matchmaker in the world. They’ve moved Toka along at a good pace. They know what they’re doing.”

Samentara éta, Toka Kahn-Clary plans to make his name in boxing next year. Kahiji, sanajan, manéhna geus meunang kaliwat Lopez Saptu ieu peuting tetep moméntum nya bade.

Turutan Kahn-Clary dina Twitter jeung InstagramTokaKahnClary, atawa babaturan manéhna dina Facebook di www.Facebook.com/tokakahn.