Tomorrow night, standout prospect Kurt Scoby (11-0, 9 KOs) will enter the ring for the first time since signing a multi-year promotional deal with DiBella Entertainment. Scoby will face Hank Lundy in the eight-round main event at Sony Hall in Times Square, New York City.
When he steps into the ring on Thursday, among the many eyes who will tune in to see him embark on this next chapter in his career are a multitude of foster parents and additional trainers and mentors that Kurt Scoby has called his village over the course of his 27 years.
Growing up in Duarte, CA, Scoby endured a hellish childhood, rife with abuse and neglect. He threw himself into sports, becoming a standout in basketball, football, and eventually boxing, craving the mentorship and stability that being an athlete offered. At 12 years old, after one too many close calls at the hands of his family, Scoby entered the foster system, determined to not become a statistic like so many of his peers.
Scoby would live in 14 different foster homes over the years, sometimes for two weeks, sometimes for two months or more. He would lose his mother, who passed away from Lupus shortly after he entered the system. Much like the proverbial baggage he carried throughout these homes, he rarely unpacked his things, knowing that a move to the next foster home could be minutes away. He would grow to depend heavily on his intuition as he struggled to stay out of trouble, a skill that would come in handy as his boxing career developed.
Throughout his childhood, his coaches kept an eye out for him, particularly Joe Lopez, a football coach who would pick up Scoby from the motel he stayed in to take him to football games at the local college. Lopez considered adopting Scoby, but sadly he lost his life in a motorcycle accident when Scoby was 14. It was yet another tragic loss for the young man, who by now was learning to think with his head and not his heart.
Scoby first stepped into a boxing gym at 10 years old. Fighting in the streets was a way of life for the youngster, and while en route to an after-school brawl, he heard the ding of a boxing bell. His curiosity was piqued. He quickly fell in love with boxing, and would go on to amass an impressive amateur record of 130-20, including a win at the 2019 California Golden Gloves tournament.
In 2017, Scoby’s life changed forever when his daughter, Leo Noelle, was born, giving him a purpose beyond himself, and even more motivation to be successful.
Despite receiving a scholarship to Fresno State University for football as a running back, followed by three years studying criminal justice at Azusa Pacific University, Scoby continued to fight, ultimately leaving football to pursue his boxing career.
In 2020, at the height of the Covid pandemic, Scoby caught a flight to New York City for $11 to begin a new life on the East Coast. He quickly began training out of Brooklyn’s Gleason’s Gym, under the tutelage of head coach Don Saxby, and made his professional debut in September of that year, earning a first-round knockout against Pablo Luna.
In February 2023, he fought on a DiBella Entertainment-promoted event in Topeka, KS, dropping John Mannu twice en route to a second-round knockout, impressing both DiBella and viewers watching Showtime’s “ShoBox” series.
“I am hugely excited about signing Kurt Scoby. He has the talent and punching power to become a star. Everyone will love him as they watch his career progress,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “He is an intelligent, well-spoken young man who has overcome every obstacle that has been put in front of him, while establishing longstanding relationships with everyone that has crossed his path. Scoob looks like a walking, talking action figure and has the charisma and smarts to succeed both inside and outside of the ring. His manager, Daniel Gonzalez, and I will work together to bring Kurt the right opportunities to reach his full potential and become the champion I know he is capable of becoming.”
“There’s no ‘side of the street’ talk when signing with DiBella Entertainment. Lou is a Hall of Fame promoter who has proven that he can make the big fights,” said Scoby. “Signing with DiBella makes all the sense in the world in my mind. I am very excited to work with DBE and am confident that their team, along with my trainers and management, will guide me toward achieving my dreams of being a world titleholder.”
“Lou DiBella and DiBella Entertainment are true professionals in the sport of boxing,” said Scoby’s manager, Daniel Gonzalez, Esq. “I know that, as a team, we will work together to make sure Kurt Scoby has the storied career that we envision for him. Lou’s track record for making boxing stars in New York City is undeniable. We are excited for this partnership and know that Kurt is going to be a force in the 140lb. weight division.”
If sports were a lifeboat during Scoby’s childhood, boxing is now his ship to command. When he begins his journey with DiBella Entertainment this Thursday at Sony Hall, he does it with the support of the village that helped raise him, and the poise and confidence of a fighter who has walked through fire and not only lived, but thrived.
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