Super middleweight Kevin “KB” Schumann signs contract with US matchmaker Ryan Rickey – and dreams of a professional fight in Las Vegas.
He was a guarantee of victory for the Traktor Schwerin boxing club: Kevin Boakye Schumann. The model athlete from Hamburg’s Traktor base TH Eilbeck stepped into the ring for Schwerin in various Bundesliga fights in recent years. The former protégé of coach Andre Walther won all of his fights in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions in four Bundesliga seasons for the series champions.
Two victorious professional fights
In total, Kevin won 115 of his 140 amateur fights, losing 25. As an amateur, he won the Cologne World Cup three times in a row, something no German boxer has ever achieved. German championship titles in various age categories are also part of his impressive record. The ambitious boxer was unable to participate in his first Olympics in Tokyo in 2021 and the 2024 Olympics in Paris due to a broken hand and a foot injury. Kevin decided to turn professional.
Last year, the Hamburg native, now known as Kevin Boakye, made his professional debut. He has had two fights at super middleweight (76.203 kg) so far, both of which he won by knockout. He had his second fight as a professional boxer at the professional boxing premiere of Traktor Schwerin on November 9, 2024 in the Palmberg Arena. The audience in Schwerin also celebrated Kevin’s T.K.O. victory in round four over Norbert Szekeres (Hungary) at the first “Traktor Fight Night”, where European champion Denis Radovan successfully defended his title in the main fight.
Grateful for support in Schwerin
“My time at BC Traktor Schwer in and the experience I gained from many Bundesliga fights have contributed significantly to my sporting development,” says Kevin Boakye gratefully. “Without the support of BC Traktor Schwerin and the four years of training under champion coach Michael Timm, many things would not have been possible for me. He has been one of the biggest influences on my career.”
Kevin Boakye has now managed to gain a foothold in the USA. He now calls himself Kevin “KB” Schumann. From now on, his manager is the US matchmaker Ryan Rickey (40), who has established himself in the southern states in particular and is highly respected there. Rickey lives in Tampa (Florida) and Mexico. Jessy Ross Thompson, a Canadian living in the USA, and Rick Sabatini (USA) are the coaches of “KB” in Team Rickey.
Before the time came, Kevin traveled to the USA for exactly two weeks. He had to complete various sparring sessions there – in Tampa and Miami, where promoter Rickey runs large gyms, and in Las Vegas. Mike Leanardi is also in charge in the professional boxing paradise of Vegas. As Head of Boxing at Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), he is an influential promoter, for example of boxing pro and internet star Jake Paul (28).
Kevin’s fitness and boxing skills received plenty of praise from his home sparring partners in Florida and Nevada. What impressed Kevin in turn was the structured training in US professional boxing – “fewer boxing sessions, more intensive strength training and mobility. More balance, more fine-tuning of technique as well as punch hardness”.
Contract over several years
Kevin’s professional contract has been signed. Before the “done deal” was made, the Hamburg native received intensive advice from Prof. Dr. Anne Jakob, a renowned lawyer and Germany’s first female sports law specialist. The result was a lucrative contract that was acceptable to both parties. Kevin knows: “You have to look carefully and not sign blindly. The most important thing for me is that the contract is valid for several years.” Until he finally heads to the USA, Kevin will be training in Hamburg with Andre Walther at the Eilbeck talent factory.
The eloquent sportsman has also set up his own business in online coaching. Primarily for boxing, but also for strength training and weight reduction. His business partner is Deniel Krotter, a top boxer from Bavaria. He too is now a professional and is known to boxing fans from various Bundesliga fights for BC Traktor.
Kevin is certain: “I will definitely make my US debut this year.” The super middleweight’s long-term goal: a big professional fight in Vegas.
Text: Jürgen Schultz