Tor Hamer is an exciting New York City heavyweight, dubbed by The Village Voice as “The Gentleman Boxer” in an impressive four-page spread. Hamer graced the cover in a tuxedo to introduce himself formally to the residents of New York City. If any one boxer has he potential to become a household name, it’s Hamer. The charismatic and talkative 29-year-old boasts a Penn State degree, Ivy League-educated parents, an extremely intelligent and charming disposition, and a marketable face.
Not that Tor is all brains and no brawn. Hamer earned the respect of the boxing community as a highly decorated amateur, as he was rated #1 in the country in 2008 by USA Boxing. He compiled an outstanding record of 34-1, and avenged his only loss by knockout.
Hamer is also a National Golden Gloves Champion, two-time NYC Golden Gloves Champion, two-time LI Amateur Boxing Champion, NY State Golden Glove Champion, NY Metro Champion, and Regional 1 Champion.
Hamer turned pro on October 22, 2008, at BB King Blues Club, as part of DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing series, scoring two knockdowns on his way to winning a TKO over Joseph Rabotte in the second round. A 137-second TKO stoppage over Royal Bryant followed, on December 4, at Roseland Ballroom, to cap off the year.
On January 17, 2009, Hamer fought on the undercard of the Andre Berto-Luis Collazo WBC welterweight championship, at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino, in Biloxi, MS. At the 1:53 mark of round two, Hamer scored a TKO over Darion Moss.
Back at BB King Blues Club five weeks later, Hamer faced an opponent with a 54-pound weight advantage in Clarence Tillman, based out of New Zealand. Hamer disposed of his foe in just 104 seconds.
Hamer went the distance for the first time in his next bout, but he won all rounds, en route to earning a four-round unanimous decision over Kelsey Arnold, on April 3, in Memphis, TN.
On another Andre Berto undercard, on May 30, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Tor dispatched of Samuel Brown inside two frames, at the 1:10 mark.
Hamer fought another four times in 2009, winning all bouts, including three by first-round knockout, against Marcus Dickerson, Howard Jones, and Mazur Ali. Moving up to the six-round limit, Hamer was extended the distance by the tough Theron Johnson on August 26, again at BB King Blues Club. Maintaining the lead throughout, Hamer overcame a scare when he was floored in the final frame. Scorecards read 58-55, and 57-56 twice, all in Hamer’s favor.
In 2010, Hamer won three of four fights, with all victories coming at what has become home base for Tor, the BB King Blues Club. After winning another six-round decision against Alexis Mejias, on March 31, Hamer was back in the ring on May 15, at Madison Square Garden, on the undercard of the Amir Khan-Paulie Malignaggi junior welterweight championship. Facing his toughest foe to date, Hamer fought a war against Kelvin Price, who, standing at 6’7”, held a five-inch height advantage. Finding it hard to close the distance at times limited his activity rate, and Hamer would lose a close split decision.
Rebounding from his defeat, Hamer was back in the ring five months later, on October 6. Tor put Terrell Nelson on the deck three times to earn a first-round knockout victory after just 131 seconds. To close out 2010, Hamer felt it was time to step up to eight-round bouts, winning a unanimous decision, all cards 80-72, on December 1, over 33-bout veteran Demetrice King, who held a 56-pound weight advantage.
Hamer had hoped to continue moving past his loss, but he suffered an injury to his right hand middle finger against King that kept him out of the ring for some time.
After 15 months of inactivity, Hamer returned, in front of hometown fans at BB King Blues Club, on March 7, 2012, against Dieuly Aristilde. It didn’t take long for Hamer to shake off the ring rust, as he dropped Aristilde three times in round two to earn a knockout victory at 2:59 of the frame.
Just seven weeks later, Hamer was back in the ring, at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma. Facing 57-bout veteran Galen Brown on April 27, Hamer won a six-round unanimous decision with scores of 60-54 twice, and 59-55.
On June 20, Hamer traveled to England earning three victories in one day, participating in and winning the Prizefighter international heavyweight tournament, held at York Hall in London. Eight fighters participated in this single elimination contest, in which each bout was set for three rounds.
In his quarter-final match against the Brazilian Marcelo Luiz Nascimento, Hamer's superior speed and boxing skills were evident, as he maintained a proper distance finding moments to strike with his power shots, keeping his foe off guard. A knockdown in round three sealed the victory for Tor, as scorecards read 30-27, 30-26, and 29-28, all for the American.
Against England's Tom Dallas, Hamer immediately bull-rushed his adversary with a flurry and trapped him against the ropes. Throwing in combination, Hamer landed a devastating right hook that knocked Dallas out cold, forcing the referee to call a halt to the bout just 29 seconds into the opening frame.
In the final, it was New York against New Jersey, when Hamer met Kevin Johnson, who entered as the favorite to win the tournament. Over three rounds, Hamer's key to success was his high work rate, as Johnson simply was not busy enough. Hamer mixed his slick boxing and footwork with moments of aggression, landing several wallops upstairs, while digging to the body. The judges' tallies were 30-27, 30-28, and 29-27, unanimously in favor of Hamer.
"Tor Hamer proved that he belongs among the best young heavyweights campaigning in the world today," remarked Lou DiBella. "He may not have the size, but he makes up for it with tenacious effort and he has also shown that he is capable of landing a knockout punch. I am very proud of Tor and grateful that he was able to participate and prevail in the Prizefighter tournament."
On October 12, Hamer was back in the States facing Dominique Alexander, at the Ameristar Casino, in St. Louis, MO. Looking sharp, Hamer earned a TKO at 1:02 of the second round.
