KURT SCOBY has come a long way to get where he is now. So it would be dangerous to doubt his ability to come back from his first career loss and climb into contention in the junior welterweight division.
Scoby will be taking on BRYAN JIMINEZ in the eight-round main event as part of “Holiday Fight Night 3,” taking place at Sony Hall in Manhattan on TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17. It’s brought to you by BOXING INSIDER PROMOTIONS and televised live on DAZN, the leader in live streamed boxing.
Scoby had a rough upbringing, so in a sense he’s been fighting since an early age. He has the subject of abuse in the home, found himself in foster care, and ultimately lived in fourteen different places before his early adulthood.
He was fortunate enough to be an outstanding athlete at Monrovia (California) High School, and was a star on the football team. A running back, his numbers were other-worldly as a senior, as he not only averaged 13.5 yards a carry, but also scored 35 touchdowns.
He accepted an athletic scholarship from Fresno State, and then, seeking more of an opportunity to play, he transferred to Azusa Pacific, a Division II school which has since discontinued its football program. But in three years of activity he had ober 2700 rushing yards.
There was something else Scoby was doing aside from football. That was boxing, and he wasn’t just some football player who also decided to box. He won a California Golden Gloves championship and compiled over 150 bouts in the non-paid ranks.
To propel himself into an opportunity to fight as a pro, Scoby moved himself from one coast to the other, landing in New York during the pandemic and situating himself at the famous Gleason’s Gym, where he worked under the watchful eye of Don Saxby.
His professional debut came in September 2020 with a first-round TKO over Pablo Luna. Scoby got into the habit of simply mowing opponents down. And he exceeded expactations; his February 2023 fight with John Mannu (7-0-1) on Showtime figured to be something that extended him, but that was not the case, as he recoreded four knockdowns in two rounds and ended it.
Last June he came to Sony Hall to face Hank Lundy, who at one time had challenged Terence Crawford in a world title fight. Lundy didn’t know what hit him, as Scoby took him out in the second round.
This past April disaster hit, as Dakota Linger, who is no stranger to upsets, stopped Scoby in six rounds of a scheduled eight. He came back three months later at the same venue – the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta – to knock out Daniel Lim (11-1) in one round.
Last time out Scoby stopped Ramiro Hernan Martinez. That was on October 5, and brought his record to 15-1 with 13 knockouts.
Scoby’s opponent on December 17 is BRYAN JIMINEZ , a Nicaraguan import who comes into this bout with a record of 17-1 with 10 knockouts.
The 27-year-old Jiminez got off to a quick start, winning his first nine bouts as a professional. In July of 2022 he ran into unbeaten (10-0) Santos Reyes, and he was unstopped in the tenth and final round in Managua.
In fact, Jiminez’s first 15 fights took place in Nicaragua, before he came to the United States. Last time out, on September 21, he won a six-round decision over Jenel Lausa. All told, Jiminez has gone into the tenth round four times in his career, as he opposes a puncher who has rarely had to go many rounds.
Tickets for the December 17 show at Sony Hall are priced at $110, $160, $215 and $350 (front row), and may be purchased online at https://www.ticketweb.com/event/boxing-insider-fight-night-sony-hall-tickets/14011593.
Sony Hall is located at the bottom of the Paramount Hotel Times Square, 235 W 46th Street.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET with the first bout at 7:30 p.m. ET.
