SHELLY “SHELITO’S WAY” VINCENT HONORED AS “FIGHTER OF THE YEAR” AT TONIGHT’S CONNECTICUT BOXING HALL OF FAME GALA INDUCTION DINNER
Photo by Brant Wilson/RBRBoxing
New York, NY (11/4/16) – One of the most popular fighters in the New England area, Shelly “Shelito’s Way” Vincent (18-1, 1 KO), born in New London, CT, but now hailing from Providence, RI, will be honored tonight at the 12th Annual Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame (CBHOF) Gala Induction Dinner as their “Fighter of the Year” for 2016.
Held in the Uncas Ballroom at Mohegan Sun Casino, in Uncasville, CT, Vincent will be the first female boxer to receive the honor.
Vincent is coming off of her highly publicized grudge match against Brooklyn’s Heather “The Heat” Hardy that took place on August 21, at the Ford Amphitheater, in Coney Island, NY. Nationally televised by NBC Sports Net, Vincent entered enemy territory engaging her adversary in an exciting 10-round battle with the vacant WBC International female featherweight title at stake. For years, Vincent had been a very vocal ringside observer at Hardy’s fights in New York, taunting her rival and building up anticipation for their eventual showdown. Vincent and Hardy lived up to the hype, maintaining a frenetic pace throughout their action-packed bout and combining to throw 1,430 punches overall. Though Vincent would lose a majority decision, both the media and fans lauded her passionate performance and she would like nothing more than to gain revenge in a rematch.
Before turning pro in October 2011, Vincent was a Connecticut State, Connecticut Golden Gloves, and National Golden Gloves champion as an amateur. Quickly becoming a fan favorite in the New England area with her all-out brawling style, Vincent won the Women’s International Boxing Association (IBA) International junior featherweight title with an eight-round unanimous decision over Angel Gladney in May 2013. Moving up to competing in 10-round bouts the following year, Vincent seized the Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) World junior featherweight title in November 2014 with a decision victory over the tough Jackie Trivilino. Defending her UBF belt against Christina Ruiz in April 2015, Vincent also picked up the Women’s IBA junior featherweight title with a dominant 10-round unanimous decision. Managed by Mike Criscio and trained by Peter Manfredo Sr., Vincent signed with DiBella Entertainment in 2016. Throughout her career, Vincent has been a mainstay in the state of Connecticut, fighting there 10 times thus far, with six victories at Foxwoods Resort Casino and four at Mohegan Sun.
“I’m very excited that Shelly Vincent will be our first female recipient of the ‘Fighter of the Year’ Award,” said John Laudati, President of the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame. “The committee saw her match against Hardy and were really impressed with how great a fight it was and how well Shelly handled herself during the buildup, promoting the bout and the sport, helping to put women’s boxing back in the spotlight. In my opinion, their fight stole the show that night in Brooklyn. Choosing Vincent for this award was not a hard decision to make for the board of directors.”
“Shelly is very deserving of this award and I commend the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame for naming her as its first female recipient,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “It shows that Shelly has been a great ambassador for women’s boxing as she continues to elevate the sport and bring it mainstream attention. She proved against Hardy that not only is she a great fighter but that she has a tremendous heart as well and her loyal following will grow because of it.”
