Newport Beach, CA.: Southern California fight promoter Roy Englebrecht announced today the signing of the Southland’s first Korean-American boxer to a promotional agreement. 23 year old junior welterweight Daniel Kim, the 2012 Southern California Blue & Gold Champion and a 2013 graduate of UC Irvine, signed with Englebrecht in an office ceremony today.
“I am extremely excited that Daniel has decided to sign with us and join the three other pro fighters we have under contract,” said Englebrecht. “As it is our goal to sign only Southern California fighters, and with Daniel now joining 13-0 Alexander Flores, 2-0 Dwain Victorian, and our 3-0 MMA fighter Curtis Millender, with Daniel being from Cerritos, it was a natural fit. It also didn’t hurt that Daniel is a college graduate, has great roots in the Southern California Korean community, has matinee idol looks, a strong spiritual faith, and can fight. I am excited that he will make his professional debut before a ton of family and friends on the Thursday, October 3rd Fight Club OC show.”
Kim only stepped into a boxing gym in Orange County in 2010, and asked trainer Alan Kemp, “Can I learn to box here?” A former captain of his high school basketball team at Whitney High in Cerritos, Kemp quickly found out that Kim possessed considerable athletic talent, keen intelligence, and a very strong desire to become the best boxer he could. After more than two years in the amateur ranks, Kemp and Kim have decided that now is the time to turn pro, and will be facing Devonte Donaldson out of Long Beach.
“Turning pro is something I’m really excited about, but I haven’t accomplished anything yet, I measure myself by my success in the ring,” said Kim, “I feel very fortunate to be signing with Roy Englebrecht, as I have heard nothing but compliments from everyone about the way Roy’s fighters are taken care of and the quality of the shows he puts on. He has a great staff, and I’m truly fortunate to be launching my pro career with such a talented and dedicated team.”
“By becoming a Korean-American boxer, I’ve stepped outside the cultural norms and social expectations placed on many of my fellow Korean Americans,” continued Kim, “Growing up, I was left with a strong impression that pursuing a future as an athlete was impossible or a waste of time. Professionally boxing as a Korean American allows me to challenge these cultural and social sentiments while proudly representing Korean and other Asian Americans in a domain where we are vastly underrepresented and often taken lightly.”
Daniel Kim was born in Cerritos and is the eldest son of He Kyung and In Chong Kim. He was a Regents Scholarship winner at UC Irvine, one the most prestigious awards given by the University. He graduated in June with a B.A. in Psychology and Social Behavior. He also has been part of the congregation at Calvary Mission Church in Buena Park for the past ten years. Kim is trained and managed by Alan Kemp, a former pro boxer, a member of the Buffalo Boxing Hall of Fame, and director of the Alan Kemp Boxing club at South Coast Martial Arts in Costa Mesa, CA.
Tickets for Daniel Kim’s pro debut on Thursday, October 3rd in Costa Mesa, can be purchased online at www.fightcluboc.com.