Because Hank Lundy, it’s really been a long and risky road in the sport of professional boxing. The question is whether that road will end anytime soon.
Lundy arrives at Sony Hall in Manhattan on June 29 for the main event on the card being hosted by Larry Goldberg and Boxing Insider Promotion. For many observers, this will be the toughest career test for the undefeated young weight class Kurt Scoby. But at the same time, it’s the “last stand” for Lundy, who has seen and done it all but has lost five games in a row and is literally trying to save his career at 39.
Let’s talk about how he got to this place.
Like Scoby, Lundy has a background in football. In high school, he was good enough to receive a partial scholarship from Kutztown University, which has sent seven players to the NFL, including wide receiver Andre Reed. But he didn’t go.
Boxing beckoned instead, and Lundy began his career winning 65 of his 70 fights, with a runner-up finish in the 2005 National Golden Gloves. He also competed in the Pan Olympics. -Am 2007, so he has a solid resume in the ranks of pure simon.
His professional debut was in July 2006, knocking out Steve Thomas in one round.
Although from Philadelphia, Lundy is known for his street action, frequently entering opponents’ backyards. In many ways, he’s Philadelphia’s best boxer.
One of those trips took him to Western New York to take on the undefeated Darnell Giles, fighting in front of his hometown fans. He was held to a draw, his only weakness in his first nineteen games as a pro.
In April 2010, Lundy completed a dominant performance against Tyrese Hendrix, who came in undefeated and walked away with a perhaps half as Lundy beat him to win the NABO lightweight belt.
John Molina Jr. eventually knocked out Lundy with a decisive victory in July 2010, and although it was a loser, Lundy recovered and was able to claim the NABF crown against Patrick Lopez the following April. He then entered the lion’s den against Olympic athlete and former world champion David Diaz in Chicago. Lundy came back to stop Diaz in the sixth round.
It wasn’t until July 2012 that Lundy suffered another loss. It was a bit expensive this time, as he achieved a WBC #1 rating while participating in the festival. But Ray Beltran surprised him with a narrowly decisive victory. This fight put Lundy in the 140-pound division. He was not greeted well, like Viktor Postol took the decision of 12 innings from him in a battle that took place in Ukraine. But typical of Lundy’s unyielding spirit, he came back and beat Nigeria’s Ajose Olusegan with a surprisingly easy decision.
No stranger to disappointment, Lundy has lost other skirmishes, including a split decision to Thomas Dulorme and a technical decision against Mauricio Herrera (the match was stopped by an accidental headbutt). But he can always come back with something.
And without a doubt, the highlight of Lundy’s career was his chance to get to the top of the mountain. And for him, it’s the fight for the WBO world junior welterweight championship organized by Terence Crawfordtook place in February 2016.
Lundy really played it up. He staged a confrontation with Crawford at the press conference and deliberation. But in the end, while Lundy proved tougher than expected against a lot of opponents, he couldn’t match his skill to Crawford, who is considered by many to be the world’s No. As a result, he was stopped in the fifth round.
Recent years have not been kind; Granted, he has faced very capable fighters, but he has lost his last five fights. Most recently (April 15), he was stopped by Ernesto Mercado for a round in an attempt to win the NABA junior weight belt.
He insists that he has some more left in those fists, in that mind, and in that heart. What might also worry Kurt Scoby is that Lundy has 290 rounds of professional boxing. So if he can be disabled by his lack of experience against anyone, he’s found him.
Tickets for the June 29 show are priced at $95, $125, $200 and $325 and are available through TicketWeb. Information about the table, contact [email protected]. Doors open at 6:30pm, with the first bell expected at 7:30pm.
Founded in 1997 as the premier boxing news and information destination, Boxing Insider has, over the course of the past ten months, moved into the advertising business. This will be Boxing Insider’s fifth pro boxing promotion.
Sony Hall is located at 235 W 46th St. in Manhattan, at the end of the Paramount Hotel, right across from the Theater Royal.
The event will be streamed for free on BoxingInsider.com.
