Shelly Vincent, Matt Remillard, Tarvis Simms and Tony Grano headline the 2023 class; renowned journalist Mark Allen Baker and promoter Art Pelullo & more will also be inducted

UNCASVILLE, CT (November 7, 2023) – The Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame is celebrating its 17th Annual Induction Ceremony in the Uncas Ballroom on Saturday, November 18th at 6:00pm. This event is open to the public, and in addition to celebrating the latest class of inductees, guests will have the unique opportunity to mingle with boxing legends and immerse themselves in the rich boxing culture of Connecticut.

Headlining inductees for the 2023 class are as follows:

Shelly Vincent | A native of New London, CT, Shelly Vincent made Providence, RI her boxing base for what turned out to be a spectacular career in the women’s featherweight division. She began her pro career in 2011, and it took her just three years to get a shot at a title. Vincent won a majority decision over Jackie Trivilino to capture the Universal Boxing Federation world super bantamweight championship and made a successful title defense against Christina Ruiz to win the IBA super bantamweight crown. Known for her crowd-pleasing style, Vincent’s pro career ended with a 27-2 record.

Matt Remillard | A two-time Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame Pro Fighter of the Year, Remillard took part in an event that has become rare in the boxing world. The Manchester featherweight, who was trained by another member of the CBHOF, Paul Cichon, was 23-0 when he put his NABF, WBO and NABO titles on the line to take on 24-0 Mikey Garcia in 2011. It was one of the few times that undefeated fighters with 20 plus wins squared off in the ring with world titles on the line. This highly anticipated bout turned out to be the only loss in Remillard’s career, as he finished with a 27-1 pro record with 15 knockouts. Remillard was a two-time Everlast Under-19 National Amateur champion and had numerous thrilling fights at Mohegan Sun Arena during his career.

Tarvis Simms | A Norwalk, CT native who comes from a boxing family, Simms was a middleweight with the nickname “Marvelous,” which could also describe his career as a pro. Simms finished with a superlative 27-1-1 record after a sterling amateur career. He won the WBF All-American middleweight title by outpointing Delray Raines in Bridgeport in 2008. One of Simms’ more notable victories came against former world champion Carl Daniels, who had amassed 50 wins before losing a unanimous decision to Simms in 2008.

Tony Grano | A graduate of RHAM High School in Hebron, CT, Grano exceeded expectations when he began his career as a professional heavyweight in 2005. He raced to a 15-1-1 record before he was matched against the highly regarded Travis Kauffman, who was 18-0 and heavily favored to defeat Grano. In a bout televised worldwide on HBO, Grano scored a stunning knockout victory.  This matchup was named the “2009 Heavyweight Fight of the Year” by Ringside Magazine. Victories over Brian Minto and DaVarryl Williamson gave Grano the NABF heavyweight title in 2012. Known as the “Hebron Hammer,” Grano, now 42, would finish his career with a 20-3-1 record with 16 knockouts.

Mark Allen Baker | One of the most accomplished boxing journalists in the world, Baker has devoted much of his life to chronicling many notable moments in the sport of boxing. His published works range from “Willie Pep, a Biography of the 20th Century’s Greatest Featherweight,’’ to “The World Colored Heavyweight Championship, 1876-1937.’’ His book “Connecticut Boxing, The Fights, The Fighters, and the Fight Game,” was #1 on Amazon’s list of Hot New Releases in 2021. An author of over 25 books about American culture, history, and sports, Baker splits his time between New England and Florida, and is currently a member of the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame Board of Directors.

Art Pelullo | Banner Promotions is one of the big hitters in the promotional game, and a lot of the success can be attributed to President and CEO, Arthur Pelullo. Pelullo began Banner Promotions in 1988, and has established a worldwide presence over 35 years, including in Connecticut. A Philadelphia native and member of the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame, Pelullo has promoted more than 200 shows worldwide on a variety of networks including HBO, Showtime, and Fox. The list of world champions promoted by Pelullo include Ricky Hatton, Diego Corrales, and Acelino Freitas.

Additional inductees include WNBC Middleweight Champion Elvin Ayala, IBO Super Bantamweight Champion Mike Oliver, top CT referee Danny Schiavone, long-time trainer Jose “Papo” Colon, and manager Mike Criscio. This monumental event will also honor Steve Carr, Eddie Dolan, Barbara Dunn, Al Gainer, Mosey King, William “Bill” J. Lee and Jimmy Leto from the 2020 class.

Tickets to The Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame’s 17th Annual Induction Ceremony are on sale now. For more information, visit CTBoxingHOF.com.

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