Nov 7, 2023 | Boxing, General News, Special Events
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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Apr 9, 2010 | Sports
Peter Manfredo Jr. & Matt Remillard co-headline Hometown Heroes fight card
On Saturday, May 22nd, TKO Boxing Promotions returns to Mohegan Sun with its nationally-acclaimed Hometown Heroes To World Champions series, headlined by the return of Peter “The Pride Of Providence” Manfredo Jr. battling Chicago’s Angel “El Toro” Hernandez for the vacant IBO Middleweight Title. The co-main event will feature Manchester, CT’s own Matt “The Sharp Shooter” Remillard defending his NABF Featherweight Title. The action begins at 7:30pm.
Tickets are $125.00, $60.00 and $30.00 and go on sale Saturday, April 10th at 10:00am through Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call Ticketmaster’s national toll free Charge By Phone number 1.800.745.3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office beginning on Sunday, April 11th, subject to availability.
Manfredo Jr. made his return to Mohegan Sun on January 29th with an outstanding shutout ten-round decision over Minnesota veteran Matt Vanda, acquiring the NABF Middleweight Title in the process. In front of a large and passionate crowd, Manfredo Jr. dominated Vanda from the opening bell. With a record of 34-6-0 (18 KOs), Manfredo is currently ranked #11 in the world by the World Boxing Council.
Hernandez, a native of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, 30-7-0 (17 KOs), has battled numerous world champions and contenders over his fourteen-year career including Winky Wright, Frankie Randall, Kassim Ouma, Wilfredo Rivera and J.C. Candelo. Known for his fan friendly all-action style of fighting, Hernandez won both of his starts in 2009, a unanimous decision over highly regarded prospect James “Buddy” McGirt Jr. on January 16th and a sixth round stoppage over Antwun Echols on August 21st.
The 23-year-old Remillard is one of the most highly-regarded prospects in boxing. After winning all four of his bouts in 2009, he raised his undefeated record to 21-0-0 (12 KOs) on January 29th at Mohegan Sun with a third round stoppage of Rafael Lora where he defended his NABF Featherweight Title and earned him a top 10 world rating.
Further details on Remillard’s bout and an action-packed undercard will be announced shortly.
Mohegan Sun Arena is ranked the 4th best venue by Billboard Magazine and was the 2008 recipient of a Country Music Award for “Casino of The Year.” For more information on concerts and other great events at Mohegan Sun, visit mohegansun.com. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.
Jan 27, 2010 | Sports
Weigh-in for Friday Night Fights At Mohegan Sun
WHAT: Official Boxing Weigh-In
WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, January 28th
5:00 pm
Outside Mohegan Sun Box Office
Mohegan Sun
WHO: Main Events:
Peter Manfredo Jr. 33-6-0 (18 KOs) vs. Matt Vanda 42-9-0 (22 KOs)
Matt Remillard 20-0-0 (11 KOs) vs. Rafael Lora 11-1-0 (5 KOs)
IN DETAIL: Headlining the January 29th event, Peter “The Pride of Providence” Manfredo Jr. will face off against Matt
“The Predator” Vanda in the ten-round main event for the NABF Super Middleweight Title.
The co-feature on January 29th is a featherweight showdown between Hartford’s Matt “The Sharp Shooter” Remillard and Dominican Rafael Lora in a ten round battle for the NABF Featherweight Title. The bout is a rematch of their action-packed September 19th bout, won by Remillard in a controversial fourth round stoppage, which Lora hotly disputed.
Jan 5, 2010 | General News, Sports
Peter Manfredo Jr. and Matt Remillard headline title bouts on January 29th
World-class professional boxing will be coming live to Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday, January 29th at 7:30pm as TKO Boxing Promotions, in association with Mohegan Sun, presents two North American title bouts featuring long-time New England fan favorites Peter “The Pride of Providence” Manfredo Jr. and Matt “The Sharp Shooter” Remillard.
Tickets are $75.00, $45.00 and $30.00 and are on sale now at the Mohegan Sun Box Office and through Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call Ticketmaster’s national toll free Charge By Phone number 1.800.745.3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet.
Headlining the January 29th event, Peter Manfredo Jr. will face off against Matt “The Predator” Vanda in the ten-round main event for the NABF Super Middleweight Title.
The twenty-nine year-old Manfredo, 33-6-0 (18 KOs), is coming off a brutal first-round stoppage of veteran Ronald Weaver on November 5th in Cockeysville, Maryland. Earlier in 2009, Manfredo stopped Walid Smichet with a devastating knockout in the seventh round on April 18th at the Casino Montréal in Quebec, Canada.
In addition to his second place finish in the premiere season of NBC’s The Contender, Manfredo has faced world-class competition throughout his career, with many of his biggest wins coming in the New England area.
Since 2005, Manfredo has defeated Scott Pemberton, Joey Spina, Ted Muller, David Banks, Shane Benfield and Donny McCrary in bouts which have taken place near his hometown of Providence.
A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, 31 year-old Vanda brings a record of 42-9-0 with 22 knockouts into the battle with Manfredo. Known as “The Predator,” Vanda’s first big win of his career came on June 24, 2005, when he won a twelve-round decision over former world champion Yory Boy Campas.
In 2008, Vanda battled Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. twice, losing a hotly-disputed split decision in Sonora, Mexico on July 12th and losing a hard fought decision in Las Vegas on November 1st.
Vanda has won three in a row in 2009 against veterans Tocker Pudwill, Ted Muller and Phil Williams, all in bouts which have taken place in Minnesota.
The co-feature on January 29th is a featherweight showdown between Hartford’s Matt “The Sharp Shooter” Remillard and Dominican Rafael Lora in a ten round battle for the NABF Featherweight Title. The bout is a rematch of their action-packed September 19th bout, won by Remillard in a controversial fourth round stoppage, which Lora hotly disputed.
Twenty-three year-old Remillard, amongst the most promising prospects in boxing, has amassed an undefeated record of 20-0-0 (11 KOs), since turning professional in 2005. He went 4-0 in 2009, most recently winning a unanimous decision over veteran Marty Robbins on December 19th.
Now based in Irvington, New Jersey, Lora, 11-1-0 (5 KOs), was undefeated prior to the first bout with Remillard and is focused on revenge.
The undercard is headlined by sensational lightweight prospect Francisco “The Phenom” Contreras. A native of the Dominican Republic, 25 year-old Contreras burst onto the boxing scene in this country with a sensational first-round knockout of Gustavo Mejia on June 18th. He finished with four big wins in 2009, the last a dominating unanimous decision over veteran Marteze Logan on December 19th.
In a special attraction bout, hard hitting fan favorite, Adelita Irizarry makes her return to Mohegan Sun in a six round welterweight bout. A native of Hartford, Irizarry, 6-3-0 (2 KOs), won a four-round unanimous decision over Yvonne Reis on August 29, 2008 in her last bout at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Also making his return to the ring is popular junior lightweight newcomer Joseph “Chip” Perez. Twenty-three year-old Perez won his pro debut on September 19th with a terrific four-round unanimous decision over Juan Zuniga. In his most recent bout Perez, 2-0-0 (1KO), stopped Lewis Crews on December 19th.
Rounding out the card will be undefeated Russian lightweight prospect Adam Sargysan, 13-0-0 (8 KOs), Canadian junior lightweight Arash Usmanee, 4-0-0 (2 KOs) and the pro debut of outstanding amateur prospect, junior welterweight Michael Finney of Smith Station, Alabama.
Mohegan Sun Arena is ranked the 4th best venue by Billboard Magazine and was the 2008 recipient of a Country Music Award for “Casino of The Year.” For more information on concerts and other great events at Mohegan Sun, visit mohegansun.com. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.
