Kathy Duva
Born: June 29, 1953
Induction: 2020
Born Kathy Martone on June 29, 1953. Duva earned a BA in English from Montclair State University and began her career as a reporter and editor at the Wayne Today Newspapers and New York Daily News.
She was introduced to the sweet science by her husband, promoter Dan Duva and began as Director of Public Relations for the family-run Main Events promotional company in 1977. Within a few years she was handling publicity for an impressive array of champions and contenders and such mega fights as the Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns 1981 title bout in Las Vegas. Following Dan’s passing in 1996, Duva assumed the role of CEO of the New Jersey based enterprise. Duva orchestrated the return of boxing to network television with The NBC Boxing Series (2003-04) and Fight Night on NBC (2012) and partnered with ESPN to bring pay-per-view boxing to the network. Among the stars she has promoted during her four decade career include Tomasz Adamek, Sergey Kovalev, Zab Judah, Fernando Vargas, Rocky Juarez, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Pernell Whitaker and Arturo “Thunder” Gatti.
An honors graduate from Seton Hall Law School, Duva is one of the most respected promoters in boxing.