Brent Bowers, the long-time chief sparring partner and cornerman for the great George Foreman, says he has helped Houston heavyweight Skipp “Strictly Business” Scott find the true potential of his punching power.
Scott (16-1, 10 KOs) will be looking to exert his newly improved power when he faces Gerald “El Gallo Negro” Washington (11-0, 8 KOs) in the 10-round co-main event on Thursday, April 3, when Golden Boy Live! presents “Night Of The Heavyweights,” a tripleheader of heavyweight action on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes, from the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California.
In the 10-round main event, unbeaten Cuban Luis Ortiz will take on long-time top contender and world-title challenger Monte Barrett and, in the televised opener, 2012 U.S. Olympian Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale will face veteran Nagy Aguilera.
Tickets for Night Of The Heavyweights, priced at $25, $35 and $45, are on sale now at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.
The towering Scott, who stands a massive 6′ 8″ has put together a Texas “Dream Team” of trainers for his big showcase, including Bowers, who spent many years learning from Foreman, one of the heaviest punchers in boxing history.
“The one problem he (Scott) was doing offensively was he didn’t have the proper snap in his shots,” said Bowers. “He was relying on his strength too much. We were really able to improve his power by getting him to put that snap in his punches and start twisting his leg properly. Even with the guys I’ve been in the ring with and worked with, I would still say Skipp Scott is a very hard-punching heavyweight.”
Bowers, who has sparred over 500 rounds with “Big George”, in addition to working with several other world-class heavyweights over the past 29 years, says he tweaked Scott’s defense as well.
“I noticed he was keeping his right hand in front of his face, instead of to the side, so we got him to stop doing that. His defense is much improved as well. He’s going to be a vastly improved and much more powerful version of himself on fight night. People will be surprised, most of all his opponent.”
Bowers says the fight with Washington will be the true test of Scott’s ability to utilize what he’s been shown. “He’s very good. He’s got the ability and he can become a champion. After this fight, we’ll know exactly where he’s at. This is his time to show everyone what he’s made of.”
On fight night, Scott’s corner will be manned by legendary Hall-of-Fame Trainer Jessie Reid and well-respected Houston boxing staple, Aaron Navarro.
“Night Of The Heavyweights” is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and O’Reilly Auto Parts. The Fantasy Springs Event Center doors open at 4:00 p.m. PT and the first fight starts at 5:00 p.m. PT. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.
The Fantasy Springs Resort Casino is located at 84-245 Indio Springs Drive in Indio, California. For more information on Brent Bowers, please visit apboxing.com. For more information on Skipp Scott, please visit Keeppunching.com.
