Maulers Boxing fighters showcased their skills in Ontario last weekend during the 2025 Brampton Cup, hosted by the Bramalea Boxing Club.
Damir Kudusov and Skye Anderson represented Maulers Boxing, facing some of Canada’s top boxers in a competition held from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2.
One notable match was the rematch of last year’s National Semi-final between Kudusov, a 16-year-old prodigy, and Alexandr Babenko from King of the Ring Boxing Club, the current Junior National Boxing Champion. Kudusov faced Babenko in the Youth Male Open Championship, where Babenko won by a judge’s decision after a three-round fight that went the distance. Despite not winning, Kudusov’s performance showed significant improvement compared to their previous encounter less than a year ago.
“It was night and day, he was a whole different fighter. I feel he was the better fighter,” said Maulers coach Devin Tomko. “He looked more seasoned, more composed, which is crazy for him only having nine fights. It’s hard. I don’t want to be a sore loser and sit here or anything, and you really got to beat the champion. You can’t just squeeze out a win, so I don’t take anything from the champion. He’s a warrior and a great fighter, too, and he’s a seasoned vet at a young age.”
With the 2025 Nationals approaching, scheduled for May 28 to June 1 in Laval, QC, this match may serve as a preview of what’s to come on a larger stage.
Kudusov has dominated his other fights in recent months, indicating he is on the right path to challenge for the National title soon. In the Brampton Cup quarter-finals and semi-finals, Kudusov achieved victories over Alden Francis and Evan Bennett, respectively, which led him to the finals. Fighting for three consecutive days was challenging, especially since he had to make weight each day.
“Not only did he fight three days in a row, he also made weight three days in a row,” said Tomko. “He can’t just eat after a fight and enjoy a win, he has to watch what he eats or maybe not eat anything and then make sure he steps on that scale and make weight the next morning. It was definitely a great experience for him and he’s done something I’ve never done in fighting three days in a row. He’s a special athlete. There’s not many people in this province or country that can do what he’s doing.”
Meanwhile, Anderson fought just once against Valentine Wilson from Destiny Boxing in the Elite Female Open Division. That match turned out to be one of the closest of the weekend, with Wilson winning by a split decision.
“She had one of her best performances of her career and did exactly what I wanted and I felt like she brought the fight,” said Tomko. “She was pressuring her and hitting her with the more significant shots, unfortunately the judges saw it the other way but again she did exactly what she needed to do and she executed the gameplan perfectly. It should’ve been enough to get the nod but it’s boxing and you have to live with it sometimes.”
Anderson, one of Maulers’ newest members, brings considerable experience. Tomko has known her since she began boxing at a young age. Recently, she made the full-time switch to Maulers, where Tomko is her coach.
“She makes my job easy, she’s a hard worker. I always look for fighters that I don’t have to chase around and I don’t with her. She’s in the gym, puts in the work, and is a sponge, too. Everything I put her way she puts into her fight and starts doing it faster than I’d think. She’s a coach’s dream, we hit the jackpot with her and Damir.”
Both Anderson and Kudusov have multiple upcoming fights in the next few months and have even been invited to compete in Ireland this year. Additionally, Tomko announced that Maulers Boxing will host a card on June 15 in Beausejour.
