Skowronski gearing up Remillard for Biggest Fight of Carere

Jersey City based trainer Mike “Red” Skowronski reports that training unbeaten NABF and NABO featherweight champion Matt “Sharp Shooter” Remillard for his March 26 showdown against unbeaten IBF No. 1 contender “Mikey” Garcia, despite being together a little more than month, seems like they’ve been working together for a year.

Remillard-Garcia is the 12-round co-feature on Top Rank’s “Featherweight Fury,” airing live on HBO After Dark from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The 24-year-old Remillard (23-0, 14 KOs) has been at training camp with his new trainer, “Mike Red,” Skowronski, in Passaic, New Jersey. The WBA #3, WBO #4 and WBC #5 rated Remillard puts his NABF and NABO title belts on the line against USBA titlist Garcia (24-0, 20 KOs).

The newly Top Ranked-signed boxer is in the fight of his young life, one that offers title implications for the Remillard-Garcia winner against IBF Featherweight Champion Yuriorkis Gamboa, or his challenger Jorge Solis if he registers an upset in the 12-round main event “Featherweight Fury.”

“Everybody in the gym immediately liked Matt,” Skowronski said. “We have a lot of young kids who have gravitated towards him. Right now, four of them are sitting around between workouts talking boxing with Matt. It seems like we’ve been working together for a year, not 4-5 weeks. In 3 ½ weeks he had already sparred 84 rounds, working double sessions, and he’s a real gym rat. He came to me in shape but not in good boxing shape. Every day he was sparring 10 rounds. I don’t want to leave it in the gym, so the other day I gave him light stuff. He got upset because he’s use to going 100 miles an hour.”

Skowronski also works with former world champion Kendall Holt, as well as prospects such as Glen Tapia, Jorge Diaz, Victor Valenzuela, Jeremy Byrant, Jose Peralta, and Wanzell Ellison. In the past he worked with the late Arturo Gatti and Tomas Adamek.

“Matt has a very tough fight against Garcia but I think he’s going to shock a lot of people,” ‘Mike Red’ noted. “I didn’t think Matt was a big a puncher as he is. His strength and power are much better. I thought he was more of a finesse fighter but he can bang, too. We’ve worked hard on his footwork and his jab has improved.

Remillard has developed into a dangerous body puncher, stopping several opponents with an attack similar to that of another New Englander, “Irish” Micky Ward, who has often talked to Matt about his left hook to the liver. “Yeah,” Skowronski added, “when I tell Matt I want a Micky Ward, he knows what I mean – tap to the head and then drill the left hook to the body.”

Tickets, priced at $200, $100 and $50 plus applicable fees, are available to purchase at the Boardwalk Hall Box Office or by calling Ticketmaster at (800).736.1420 or online at ticketmaster.com

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Ellison Helps "Sharp Shooter" Sharpen His Skills For Upcoming HBO Bout

Newark native Wanzell Ellison recently finished serving as a chief sparring partner for unbeaten featherweight contender Matt "Sharp Shooter" Remillard in liue of his bout with fellow undefeated rising star Mikey Garcia, which takes place next Saturday in AC.

Remillard, who recently hired Mikey "Red" Skowronski as his trainer, brought Ellison into his training camp at the Passaic Police Athletic League for three weeks.

"The sparring was intense," said Ellison, a former amateur star. "People in the gym were amazed with the sparring and we were both working hard so I could get him ready for his fight."

Ellison reportedly sparred sixty rounds with Remillard and feels that the Connecticut native is ready to shine.

"I am confident that he will win based off of how hard he worked in the gym. People tell me Garcia throws a lot of punches but the way I saw Matt work in the gym I know he'll be ready!"

According to Ellison, his next bout may take place April 2 in AC.

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Mariusz Watches Haggler Tumble; Charles Outpoints McDermott in Newark

Heavyweight Mariusz Wach of North Bergen remained unbeaten following a sluggish third round stoppage over Jonathan Haggler Saturday evening at Essex County College in Newark.

Typically when a 23-0 fighter headlines, the prospects of a notable fight could is on the horizon, but Wach is clearly a work in progress. In the first two rounds, little action took place, as Haggler threw wild shots while Wach struggled to get his hands moving on a consistent basis. A few ringsiders noted that neither fighter truly won either of the two stanzas in a tough to watch affair between the big men. Thankfully, that all changed shortly thereafter.

In the very next round, Wach landed a combination that had Haggler out on his feet. The 6’7 250 lb Pole then connected with a few unanswered shots, sending Haggler down face first. Although none of Wach’s follow up punches was anywhere near devastating, Haggler remained on the canvas and was counted out by Referee Sparkle Lee.

Time of stoppage was 1:22.

Wach, pronounced Vahk, improves to 24-0 with 12 KO’s, picking up the WBC Baltic Heavyweight crown in the process. Haggler heads back to Winston-Salem, NC at 23-4 (18 KO’s).

In what was easily the evening’s best fight, Atlantic City based lightweight Osnell “Prince” Charles outpointed popular Jersey City native Danny “Little Mac” McDermott. Charles effectively landed well timed up-jabs and straight right hands to the head of McDermott, while the latter landed the harder punches.

McDermott was surprisingly docked a point in the fifth round after using his shoulder to push Charles out of a clinch. This only sparked a fire in McDermott, who clearly won the round by aggressively attacking Charles. With the bout up in the air in most people’s eyes, Charles fought a perfect sixth, tagging McDermott with a number of precise punches to ultimately seal the deal.

One judge had the bout 57-56 while the other official tallies were shockingly wide at 59-55 and 59-53. GSFS scored the bout 57-56 for Charles, who would have settled for a draw on our card had McDermott not been docked a point.

“I was never worried (that the decision would go against me)”, said Charles. “My trainer said keep sticking the jab out there (and I knew) I was going to win the fight going into the last round.”

Charles’ victory was his sixth in a row since a 1-2 start. McDermott slips to 8-3-1 (3 KO’s) following his second straight thriller where he came up just short.

In what looked more like a sparring session than an actual professional bout, Atlantic City based pole Rafael Jastrzebski shut out Bowerston, OH’s Randy Campbell. Jastrzebski controlled the bout from bell to bell, winning by scores of 40-36 on al three cards.

After beginning his career 0-6-1, Jastrzebski earned a fourth straight win. Campbell is now 3-4 with 2 KO’s.

In a matchup between two pugilists who share names with successful NBA players, lightweight Scott “Bang Bang” Burrell destroyed Tony Parker in the opening round. Burrell, a former amateur standout, needed little time to show that the novice parker didn’t belong in the ring with him, decking the North Carolinian three times before the bout was stopped at 1:39.

Burrell, of Brooklyn, NY by way of the UK, is 2-0 with both wins coming by KO. Parker returns to Wilson, NC at 0-3.

Newark’s Eddie Edmonds scored a second round KO over Wilson, NC’s Charles White, scoring three knockdowns in the process while barely breaking a sweat in a middleweight affair.

Edmonds improves to 2-1-1 (1 KO). White falls to 0-2.

Time of stoppage was 57 seconds.

Crowd favorite Rashad Bogar, also of Newark, impressively halted Miguel Corcino in the second of a scheduled for round welterweight contest. Bogar dropped Corcino in the opening round and twice more in the second, putting the previously undefeated Camden native down for good with a monstrous right hand.

Bogar ups his professional ledger to 3-2 with 2 KO’s. Corcino slips to 2-1 (2 KO’s).

In the opening bout of the evening, Newark junior lightweight Wanzell “Venom” Ellison kicked off a successful night for the Brick City by demolishing Jimmy “Stick Hands” Smalls inside of two rounds. After outboxing Smalls in the opening stanza, Ellison decked his foe with a right hand. Although he could’ve made it back to his feet, Sticky Hands didn’t want to get stuck in another bad situation and let Referee David Fields count him out at 2:49.

Ellison, who sported a nifty light green ring outfit, remains undefeated at 4-0 (3 KO’s). Cincinnati, OH’s Smalls is 0-1.

The card was promoted by Prize Fight and Global Boxing. Fans unable to make it to yesterday’s card can check out the action anytime at gofightlive.tv or on Fox Sports Net via tape delay.

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