Kurt Scoby returns to the ring with a new trainer, in a new weight class

At his lowest point, Kurt Scoby found out who was really on his side.

Scoby was still licking his wounds following a sixth round loss to Dakota Linger in April when he was forced to take stock of his life and career. The 28-year-old from Duarte, Calif. has risen rapidly in the ranks since gaining fame in 2020. He had gotten a lot of exposure with Overtime Boxing, which drew 22,000 likes on the post while comparing him to Mike Tyson. Now he had returned to Earth with the loss of an endless spoil.

After two days of grumbling, Scoby's father told him it was time to get back to work. That's exactly what he aims to do this Friday, when he returns to the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta for a six-round fight against Daniel Lim (11-1, 3 knockouts).

“There are a lot of people who have turned their backs on me. That happens every time you lose or do something bad in this world. This shows me that I am great. I still have my family, I still have my son, I still have my daughter, I still have my fiance' [Christie Bonacci]. Those are the people who are important to me. This fight is for them, not the fans, no one else,” said Scoby (13-1, 11 Knockouts).

This will not be the same Scoby the fans saw last time he entered the ring. He has moved down to the lightweight division, and will compete at a catchweight of 137 pounds in this outing. He also switched coaches to Hector Bermudez, moving his training base to the Universal Training Academy in Springfield, Mass. after years of training under Don Saxby and Leon “Kat” Taylor at Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn, NY.

Scoby, who has made his home in northeastern Pennsylvania, has been living in the gym for the past two months as he gets used to the new trainer, who has trained Javier Fortuna, Danny O'Connor and Carlos Gongora, among others. .

“I needed a fresh start and a fresh change,” said Scoby. “Actually one week after the war I had to uproot my life and come to train here. I actually live in the gym now in this fight camp.”

Part of the adjustment to his preparation, he says, is focusing on his boxing technique over his previous camps, where strength and conditioning were the main focus.

Fellow manager Brandon Stump says the changes Scoby has made in his camp will show when he returns to the ring.

“Loss does not define us, how we react. Kurt is back from his last fight and making the necessary changes he felt he needed. I'm proud of the way he behaved during that difficult time, of finding himself,” said Stump, who manages Scoby and Daniel Gonzalez.

“Scoob is a problem, and for those who don't believe in him….watch.”

Lim, 24, is a native of the Philippines who now lives in Deerfield Beach, Fla. He became champion in 2015 and won his first ten fights but saw his career halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, missing the ring twice. half-yearly until mid-2022. His only loss, a second round loss to Emiliano Moreno last November, was his first fight in the United States.

Scoby hopes this fight means a new beginning for him.

“I had to understand why this happened to me, and you have to go back to the gym, you have to be with yourself and tell your story. At the end of the day this is all to help tell my story to someone struggling out there. That's my ultimate goal,” said Scoby.