By Pattee Mak April – 2012
Featherweight Matt “Sharp Shooter” Remillard (23-1-0) was on the right track in his professional boxing career until it all came to a halt when he was arrested and sentenced to prison. According to his Attorney, Kevin M. O’Brien of Connecticut, Remillard was sentenced to prison for Assault in the first degree per Connecticut General Statute 53a-59. He was sentenced to 5 years in jail, commencing November 29, 2011. At this time there is also a civil lawsuit pending. According to Remillard he has a different view of the facts.
Remillard has an outstanding amateur record of 115-25. He started boxing at the young age of 13. While he was an amateur boxer he received gold medals in the Everlast Fran Jones Under 19 National Championships and finished 3rd in the 2004 National PAL Championship. His first professional fight was on April 1, 2005 when he was only 18 years old against Arlington Pandy. Remillard won by TKO round 2 of 4. His professional titles include the WBC Youth World super featherweight title, WBC Youth World featherweight title, WBC USNBC featherweight title, NABF featherweight title and the WBO NABO featherweight title.
Pattee Mak: Good Morning Matt.
Pattee Mak: How is Sharp Shooter today?
Matt Remillard: I’m doing as good as I can be considering where I am, thank you. Taking things day by day is all I can do right now. Some days are definitely better than others.
Pattee Mak: How did you get the name sharp shooter?
Matt Remillard: Paul Cichon gave it to me when I started boxing because of the way I pick my punches not trying to waste any.
Pattee Mak: You had a successful boxing career of 23-1-0. A little over a year ago was your last fight against Miguel Angel Garcia in Atlantic City, NJ and it was your only loss. Tell me what happened during that fight?
Matt Remillard: The fight should of never taken place and several times I had pulled out of the fight. I trained only two and half weeks and just mentally my mind was elsewhere. I had a civil suit pending against me and had to take the fight so Jordan Evans would take the stand and lie under oath to help my case out. The minute I pulled out the fight the civil suit would be postponed because of the money I was making for the fight. Him lying on stand was supposed to help me in my criminal case which never happened because of the other co-defendants, Napolitano’s putting all blame on me and taking Jordan’s side to get off on all charges. The real story has not been told yet. Having a judge who’s basically family to the Evans doesn’t help any. After two years of fighting in court the judge finally feels its necessary to “out himself” because of his close relationship with the so-called “victim”.
Pattee Mak: Out of all your 24 fights which fight would you say was your easiest and toughest?
Matt Remillard: I wouldn’t say any fights were easy, some fights my game plan just worked out for the better. In each of my title fights I faced multiple challenges. Jose Hernandez I broke my left wrist early on in the fight. I’ve been cut multiple times and also was really sick with food poisoning in my first fight back from my wrist surgery at Mohegan Sun. And mentally I wasn’t at all in the fight against Miguel Garcia.
Pattee Mak: How did you get involved in boxing?
Matt Remillard: Officer Dejules brought me to see Paul at the Manchester PAL in early 2000. I was hanging with the wrong kids and decided I wanted to get my life on track. I was walking to the gym one day when the kids I was hanging around with had stolen a car and wanted to pick me up. I told them I was going to the gym and not hanging with their crowd anymore. The next day in school I found out that the car that was stolen had been in an accident. My former friend had been injured. One is paralyzed for life and the other hung himself in jail the day after the accident. If I decided to get into that car who knows what would of happened. I never left the gym ever since. I took that as a sign that someone was looking out for me from above telling me not to get into the car with them.
Pattee Mak: You are currently serving your prison term for first degree assault. Are you allowed to do any type of boxing training on prison grounds?
Matt Remillard: Prison is definitely not like the movies. I’m in a level 4 facility where no kind of violence or acts are permitted.
Pattee Mak: Are you keeping in shape and if so how?
Matt Remillard: I have a job here which allows me to use the gym 6 days a week and I also workout in my cell. I’m definitely staying in shape mentally and physically.
Pattee Mak: What is your job title?
Matt Remillard: I work as a Tierman cleaning up the area in which there are 60 cells. Wipe down tables, floors, hand out food trays, etc. It’s the only job which allows me to use the gym 6 days a week so I took the job based on that fact. I make $21.00 a month, $10.50 every two weeks.
Pattee Mak: Have you found that being in prison and being a professional boxer that other inmates show you respect or is it the other way around where they try to see if they can KO you?
Matt Remillard: I’ve had a little of both when I first got to prison. A lot of inmates respect me and have followed my career but there are always one or two people that want to test you and you can’t be afraid to stand up for yourself. After that people learn to respect you a little more.
Pattee Mak: Looking back do you wish you can change it all and still be fighting and increasing your skills and record today?
Matt Remillard: The only thing I wish is that the truth came out and Jordan Evans was exposed for the piece of shit he really is. I don’t believe that if someone changed shoes with me that night they would of watched someone they cared about get beat up, especially if that someone was a female. Of course, I wish I wasn’t in jail but honestly in my heart I feel like I don’t belong here.
Pattee Mak: What does the future look like for the Sharp Shooter in the world of boxing?
Matt Remillard: To be honest I don’t know. I have a bigger obstacle in my way right now, which is my main focus. Boxing doesn’t make me who I am and that’s something I am trying to figure out right now.
Pattee Mak: Back in 2011 you signed up with Top Rank. What is your relationship currently with them?
Matt Remillard: Top Rank is one of the best promotional Companies in the sport and has shown me all the support in the world. They really are a true promotional company and stick to their words. My relationship with them is on hold until I get out.
Pattee Mak: Once you served your time and get back into boxing will you still be under contract with Top Rank?
Matt Remillard: That’s something I will get to when the day comes. We still have a good relationship together.
Pattee Mak: Will you continue your training with Paul Cichon?
Matt Remillard: Right now training isn’t even on my mind. Paul Cichon and I have a great relationship. He’s family and a part of Team Remillard. My career isn’t a guarantee and I’m taking things day by day. I miss boxing a lot and my team but I have bigger obstacles ahead of me.
Pattee Mak: Do you miss following the who’s who and what’s what in the boxing world?
Matt Remillard: Sometimes I do but I’m still not all that detached from the world. I still know who’s who and feel that when I am at my best I belong with the best in my division. If I had a second chance at Garcia right now, I know for a fact that I would of put up a better fight, even if I am not in “boxing shape” on just the simple fact that my mental state of mind is in a better place now that I am finally here in jail. My day will come to prove to the world that I am in fact a world class fighter when I am at 100%. Garcia didn’t beat me, I beat myself before the bell ever rang.
Pattee Mak: Any regrets in life?
Matt Remillard: Hurting the ones I truly loved and cared about. Waiting as long as I did to fight in the criminal case, hiring a better lawyer that wasn’t good of friends with the victim’s lawyer and losing people I truly loved because of this whole case.
Pattee Mak: What is the one thing/item you miss most not being able to do now that you are in prison?
Matt Remillard: Being free, letting a loved one know I’m never that far away and making sure I’m there for them if they need me.
Pattee Mak: Thank you so much for taking the time for this interview. This interview could not be possible without the assistance of Paul Cichon.
Matt Remillard: Thank you for getting in touch with me with the help of Paul Cichon. It’s nice to find out who the real people are in my life and I appreciate your help with this interview and wishing me the best.
If you wish to write to Remillard his address is Matt Remillard MacDougall-Walker CI, 1153 East Street South, Suffield CT. 06080. Inmate # 00387205.
For comments please feel free to comment below or locate me on facebook or twitter under Pattee Ma
This interview does not necessary reflect the views of Pattee Mak. Its sole purpose was to allow Remillard to voice his side of the events that tragically changed many lives.
As in September, I once again ran out of gas in the 10th & 11th championship rounds of October & November with this column, but I recovered to complete them and will unleash a few more flurries to close out the 12th and final round.
In the first week of October, Hassan N’Dam won a UD over Curtis Stevens in an eliminator for the right to challenge Jermaine Taylor who defeated aging Sam Soliman to regain the IBF Middleweight title. How Taylor even earned this title shot is another story altogether, but it is all irrelevant as he is now the champion. However he will not have too much time to savor his victory as he has assault and battery charges pending against him and an upcoming court fight that may turn out to be the toughest fight of his life, just when things started to look up for him in boxing, we wish him luck.
The media is used to tell your story. The guy lied? Explain what the real deal is then?