Undefeated super featherweight prospect Toka “T Nice” Kahn-Clary (4-0, 3 KOs) returns to action April 13, fighting on the Nonito Donaire-Guillermo Rigondeaux undercard, at the famed Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
Liberia-native Kahn-Clary, a 20-year-old who moved to Providence 14 years ago, is coming off (Feb. 23) another impressive win by second-round technical knockout of 18-fight veteran Pablo Cupul.
Kahn-Clary faces Gadiel Andaluz (4-4-1, 2 KOs) next Saturday in what is expected to be Toka’s last four-round bout before graduating to six.
“This fight is a real big opportunity for me,” Kahn-Clary said, “so I need to put on my best performance to prove I’m a good prospect, and that I will be one of the best fighters in the world someday. To fight on the same card as Donaire and Rigondeaux, being involved in only the second boxing show ever at Radio City Music Hall me, is an honor got me. I have to fight to the best of my ability.
“I stay in touch with guys I know from the amateurs and one, (Philadelphia super middleweight) Jesse Hart, is fighting on the same card. I’m competitive and even though we’re friends, I want to look better than him that night.”
Promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank, Kahn-Clary was a standout amateur who captured a gold medal at the 2010 U.S. National Golden Gloves Tournament. He fights out of the new Manfredo Boxing Sports Fitness gym in Narragansett, Rhode Island.
“Toka is fighting on a five-star show headlined on HBO by the Donaire-Rigondeaux fight,” Toka-Kahn’s head trainer Peter Manfredo, Sr. noted. “Everybody who’s anybody in boxing will be there, so it’s very important that Toka looks good. Top Rank has done a great job moving him, keeping him active, and finding the right opponents. Top Rank has two of the best matchmakers in boxing, Bruce Trampler and Brad Goodwin, and, someday, hopefully, they’ll be finding the best fighters in the world for Toka.
“Toka’s matured a lot and improved the last year, getting better at his trade as he goes along. Now, he’s going to body nice, sitting down on his punches, and he has a good body attack.”
Kahn-Clary has had four professional fights, excluding a no-contest when he suffered a cut due to an unintentional head-butt in four different states – Nevada, California, New Jersey and Rhode Island – and New York will be his fifth during the first 10 months of his young career.
“Keeping active is very important for a young fighter like me,” Kahn-Clary concluded. “Fighting in the ring and the gym are two different things. Even if you’re in the gym working hard every day like me, it’s not the same as fighting in the ring, and you can get rusty. I’m very happy that I’ve been so active.”
