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Dino Duva will promote the hard punching youngster, and his father, legendary Hall of Famer Lou Duva, will serve as co-manager with his partner Phil Forte.
Toma will show his considerable wares on the undercard of the DiBella Entertainment show featuring light heavyweights Shaun George vs. Jaffa Ballogou in the main event of February 25 at BB King’s in Manhattan.
The New York boroughs have a high Albanian population, and Toma already has a huge following.
“I had heard about him and his success in the New Jersey Golden Gloves,” says Dino. “When I finally got a chance to meet him, he told me he wanted to turn pro. Some mutual friends told him to talk to us about working with me and my father. Rini, my father and I bonded quickly, and signed contracts soon after.”
“He is a tremendous puncher,” added Duva, “and that’s what we need in the heavyweight division today, power punchers that excite the fans. I can see him progressing very quickly in the heavyweight division. I know that he is popular with the Albanian New Yorkers, who are great fans, and I am excited about building him as a future heavyweight star.”
“He’s a strong guy who comes to fight,” says Lou Duva. “He gives fight fans a real show. I think he can do it, people like him. He has charisma to go with the talent.”
“I feel very good, I am very happy, I am a lucky guy to sign with Dino,” says the 25-year-old Toma. “I am very excited about fighting in New York in front of my family and friends, I am actually very nervous, but I know I will do well.”
“I am a boxer puncher, and very fast hands,” said the native of Lexha, Albania. “I come with a lot of power, I can also take a good punch, and my conditioning is very good, too.”
Toma migrated to the United States seven years ago from Albania, where boxing was prohibited, but he excelled as a three time Greco Roman wrestling champion.
Rocky Marciano is his idol. “The reason I started boxing was that I was delivering some books from the store, and I saw pictures of Rocky Marciano. He inspired me. Someone told me I had big fists like him, and that we looked similar.”
If Toma resembles Marciano in the ring in the slightest bit, he has quite a future ahead of him. Dino and Lou Duva hope so.
For tickets call DBE at 212 947-2577
