Kurt “Scooby” Scoby celebrates throughout OTX Battle Evening on Friday, August 18, 2023 at OTE Area in Atlanta, Georgia. (Picture by Adam Hagy/OTX)
At his lowest level, Kurt Scoby discovered who was actually on his facet.
Scoby was nonetheless licking his wounds following a sixth spherical stoppage loss to Dakota Linger in April when he was pressured to take inventory of his life and profession. The 28-year-old from Duarte, Calif. had risen up shortly by means of the ranks since turning professional in 2020. He had gained important publicity by means of Time beyond regulation Boxing, which drew 22,000 likes on a put up whereas hyperbolically evaluating him to Mike Tyson. Now he had come crashing again to Earth with a loss to a relentless spoiler.
After two days of wallowing, Scoby’s fiancee’s father advised him it was time to beat the rely and get again to work. That’s precisely what he intends to do that Friday, when he returns to the Time beyond regulation Elite Area in Atlanta for a six-round bout towards Daniel Lim (11-1, 3 knockouts).
“There are a ton of people that turned their again on me. That at all times occurs while you lose otherwise you do one thing dangerous on this world. This exhibits me that I’m nice. I nonetheless have my household, I nonetheless have my son, I nonetheless have my daughter, I nonetheless have my fiancee’ [Christie Bonacci]. These are the individuals that basically matter to me. This struggle is for them, not the followers, nobody else,” mentioned Scoby (13-1, 11 knockouts).
This gained’t be the identical Scoby that followers noticed final time he was within the ring. He has dropped down a division to light-weight, and can compete at a catchweight of 137 kilos for this outing. He has additionally switched trainers to Hector Bermudez, shifting his coaching base to the Common Coaching Academy in Springfield, Mass. after years of coaching beneath Don Saxby and Leon “Kat” Taylor at Gleason’s Fitness center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Scoby, who now makes his house in northeastern Pennsylvania, has been staying within the fitness center’s dwelling quarters for the previous two months as he acclimates to a brand new head coach, who had beforehand skilled Javier Fortuna, Danny O’Connor and Carlos Gongora, amongst others.
“I simply wanted a brand new begin and a brand new change,” mentioned Scoby. “Actually one week after the struggle I needed to uproot my dwelling and are available practice right here. I truly stay within the fitness center now throughout this struggle camp.”
A part of the changes to his preparations, he says, is a deal with his boxing method over his earlier camps, the place power and conditioning was the principle focus.
Co-manager Brandon Stump says the modifications Scoby made to his coaching camp will probably be evident when he steps again within the ring.
“A loss doesn’t defines us, how we reply does. Kurt has bounced again from his final struggle and made the required modifications he felt he wanted. I’m so very happy with how he has carried himself throughout that difficult, self discovery time,” mentioned Stump, who manages Scoby with Daniel Gonzalez.
“Scoob is an issue, and for many who don’t imagine in him….watch.”
Lim, 24, is a local of the Philippines who now lives in Deerfield Seashore, Fla. He turned professional in 2015 and gained his first ten fights however noticed his profession stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic, staying out of the ring for 2 a half years till mid-2022. His solely defeat, a second spherical stoppage loss to Emiliano Moreno final November, was in his solely earlier struggle in the US.
Scoby hopes that this struggle marks a brand new begin for him.
“I needed to perceive the explanation this occurred to me, and simply you gotta head again to the fitness center, you gotta get extra in tune with your self after which you possibly can inform your story. On the finish of the day that is all to assist inform my story to somebody who’s struggling on the market. That’s my finish purpose,” mentioned Scoby.
