A hard-hitting combination is emerging out of Steeltown.
Devin Tomko and Damir Kudusov share a coach-and-student relationship at Maulers Boxing Club in Selkirk, but both will be stepping into the ring in the coming weeks.
Maulers Boxing Club coach, Devin Tomko, makes his return to boxing next month when he takes on Abraham Gomez in a light heavyweight bout on April 11 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa
First up is a trip to Calgary for the Boxing Canada 2026 Junior, Youth and U23 Nationals from March 18 to 22 at the Genesis Centre.
There, 17-year-old Kudusov will be seeking his first national gold after earning back-to-back bronze medals the previous two years.
Originally from Ukraine, Kudusov has gone all-in on boxing since making the switch from Muay Thai two years ago. Tomko will once again be ringside to coach him at nationals, where he believes Kudusov is the odds-on favourite to win the 45-kilogram weight class.
“He’s definitely the favourite going in, but he has tough fights in front of him, so we’ve got to make sure we put in the good work,” said Tomko on Thursday.
Kudusov is now one of the older boxers in his age group, having been an underager in his previous appearances.
He will need to win a series of bouts over the five-day competition to claim gold. The compressed schedule means he will need to recover quickly after each fight — a challenge he has grown accustomed to.
He has spent the weeks leading up to nationals training more than two hours a day, with plenty of sparring and technical work mixed in. He also enters the competition fresh off a trip to a Team Canada camp in British Columbia, where he gained exposure in front of some of the country’s best.
Nationals will be one of his final tournaments in his age group before he pursues professional status as an adult.
“Everything that we’ve been working on is finally settling in, so I’m very excited for him just to go show what he’s capable of,” said Tomko.
For the 33-year-old Maulers coach, the coming weeks will also mark his long-awaited return to the ring following a two-year hiatus from professional boxing.
Now fighting again in the light-heavyweight division, Tomko believes he has taken the right steps to prepare — something he admits he did not do in his previous bout.
“I had a bad turnout in my last fight,” said Tomko. “It was my fault. I wasn’t doing everything properly, wasn’t training properly. I only sparred four times before I took a 10-round title fight.
“Just by nature I’m a fighter, so I don’t like saying no to opportunities, and I probably should have. I had a bad outing the last time, so now it’s my redemption year. I’m here to make some statements.”
At his age, Tomko believes his window to make noise in professional boxing remains wide open and that this return is just the beginning of a renewed multi-year run.
His return fight is scheduled for Saturday, April 11 against Abraham Gomez at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa, where he looks forward to representing the Maulers name.
He will be coached by Pan Am Boxing Club’s Dylan Martin — a man he once fought earlier in his career.
“I’m just getting started. I feel like I haven’t even really shown my potential in the sport, and I’ve got good people around me now,” said Tomko.
He added that his time coaching in Selkirk helped spark his decision to lace up the gloves again.
His last two years working with Kudusov have particularly reignited his hunger for boxing, with trips around Canada to coach his young protégé at the highest level for his age group.
“Just seeing Damir, seeing how he works, seeing him progress and seeing him at a high level — it’s just kind of pushed me to get myself back in gear,” said Tomko. “Obviously with the fight it helps me push myself even more. I just like being at a high level and knowing what I’m capable of. I want to see where I can still take it.”
Tomko’s return will also involve trips to California to train with his former Los Angeles-based coach. Though it will make for a busier schedule, he is not letting it take priority over the boxing program he is building in Selkirk.
This summer, he and the Maulers will bring an international Team Canada vs. Team El Salvador card to town.
The event will continue the Maulers’ Fight Night series, which has drawn thousands of spectators over the past two years.
Kudusov has been one of the regular fighters on those cards and is once again expected to compete in the event’s early bouts.
Tomko has dubbed it the series’ biggest card to date, with fighters from the two national teams set to square off in front of what he hopes will be their largest crowd yet.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, July 4, with a 7 p.m. start at the Selkirk Recreation Complex.
General admission and reserved ringside tickets are currently priced at $20 and $40 respectively.
