Philippines, 30 Aug 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Celebrated amateur Arika Skoog Balancing life as pro boxer

PhilBoxing.com





“Fight Night at the Vets Club” June 10th in Bridgewater, Mass.

QUINCY, Mass. (May 15, 2023) – One of New England’s all-time greatest female boxers, Boston lightweight Arika Skoog (1-0-1, 1 KO), is balancing her life as a prizefighter. She returns to action June 10th on “Fight Night at the Vets Club” card, presented by Granite Chin Promotions’ (GCP), at the Veterans Club in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.

The 29-year-old Skoog was a dynamic Olympic-style boxer who captured top honors at the 2020 USA Boxing Elite National Championship, as well as three times in the New England Golden Gloves Tournament. Fighting out of Boston, she trains at Nonantum Boxing Club in Newton, Massachusetts.

“When Arika’s trainer, Nico Gargaro, reached out to me about putting her on the show,” Granite Chin Promotions president Chris Traietti commented, “I was thrilled. All of Nico’s fighters come to fight, bring a crowd, and put on a show. I don’t expect things to be any different with Arika. She has a great amateur pedigree and comes from an awesome gym. I am honored to play a small part in her journey and hopefully becoming a champion.”

A 2020 USA Boxing Olympic Team alternate for Olympic bronze medalist Oshae Jones, Skoog spent most of 2020 traveling as a member of Team USA, after winning the USA Olympic Trials, resulting in a challenging transition period when she returned home to live.

She could have remained an amateur and taken a shot of making the Team USA Olympic Boxing Team and qualifying for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. “I came home and needed to get focused. I was almost 30 and needed to get my life on track. I needed to pay rent and loved boxing. It turned pro to balance my career and box. I needed to be more grounded for my future.”

Skoog, who faces Sarah “Switch Kick” Click (1-4-1, 0 KOs) in a six-round bout, earned her master’s degree in business from Holt International Business school in Cambridge (MA). She works for Wayfair, but soon hopes to join the Newton Fire Department having recently received her EMT license.

Arika never should have taken her second pro fight, last January in Boston versus pro-debuting Dupe Akinola, which ended in a four-round draw.

“Because of my resume (amateur background),” she explained, “it wasn’t easy finding an opponent. I ended up fighting a last-minute replacement nobody knew about. I didn’t know until between rounds, when the ring announcer said that she (Akinola) was 40-0 as an amateur (from Nigeria). I had a lot going on and didn’t want to take the fight. I’m not saying I didn’t want to fight a real fighter. I knew it wasn’t going to be pretty and I was lucky to pull out a draw. If it had been a six-round fight, I would have won that fight, and that’s why I wanted this one (coming fight) to be six rounds.

“I wasn’t used to two-minute rounds in the pros. I’m in a better place now. I’m a boxer who loves to fight on the outside, but the big difference in the pros is working from a closer distance, which will give me more power punching. It’s exciting.”

Although she still learning in the pro ranks, Skoog is determined to make a statement in her upcoming fight and develop into one of New England’s top female prizefighters.

“I want to be No. 1 in my division, especially in New England,” she concluded. “I want to turn the skills I developed in the amateurs into a pro style. I’m still learning in the pros. I want to showcase my skills and show the world what I’m capable of.”


Also slated to fight on the “Fight Night at the Vets Club” are former New England Welterweight Champion Mike “Bad Man” Ohan, Jr. (17-2, 9 KOs), of Holbrook (MA), unbeaten Lynn (MA).super middleweight James “Pitbull” Perkins (11-0-1, 8 KOs), and Scituate (MA) heavyweight Kevin Nagle (1-0,1 KO).

Card subject to change.

Tickets are priced at $60.00 (floor seats), $40.00 (standing room only), and $400.00 for ringside tables of 4 are available for purchase at https://granite-chin-promotions.ticketleap.com.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET, first bout at 7 p.m. ET.




Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Bisutti, Panya Make Weight for UBO World Title in Highland Show on DAZN
    By Carlos Costa, , Sat, 30 Aug 2025
  • Turki Alalshikh the most influential boxing leader in United Kingdom
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sat, 30 Aug 2025
  • Bambam will flight ‘clean & disciplined’ against Requito
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sat, 30 Aug 2025
  • Carlos Flowers Ready to Blossom on the World’s Stage at 2025 World Boxing Championships
    , Sat, 30 Aug 2025
  • Traya eyes KO win against Thai tomorrow
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 29 Aug 2025
  • Navarrete's Future in Question as He Resists Rematch with Charly Suarez
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Fri, 29 Aug 2025
  • Davao's Corteza beats Biado, Aranas enters round-of-32 in P2 Million Bata Reyes 10 Ball Open
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 29 Aug 2025
  • Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaimàn: The Growth of Boxing
    By Mauricio Sulaimán, , Fri, 29 Aug 2025
  • Toshihiko Era Retains WBF Asia Strap in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 29 Aug 2025
  • Boxlab Promotions Signs Rising Cuban Prospects Ronny Alvarez and Pedro Veitia
    , Fri, 29 Aug 2025
  • Boxing Legend & Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. Confirmed for Eighth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Mexican Independence Day Weekend, Saturday September 13, in Las Vegas
    , Fri, 29 Aug 2025
  • Vayson vies for WBA/WBO titles
    By Joaquin Henson, , Thu, 28 Aug 2025
  • Mexican "The Rock" Zamora, three-time female world champion with 20 world championship fights, retires
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Thu, 28 Aug 2025
  • “I’M ONLY GETTING BETTER”: CONFIDENT PAT McCORMACK PLOTS HUGE HOMECOMING WIN OVER MIGUEL PARRA TO SPARK WORLD TITLE CHARGE
    , Thu, 28 Aug 2025
  • Heart of a Lion: 'Lucky Boy' Reymark Alicaba Earns Praise Despite Loss by Points in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Thu, 28 Aug 2025
  • Dante Kirkman Looks to be the First Fighter to Stop Dylan Carlson
    , Thu, 28 Aug 2025
  • Shawn Darling Inducted into New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame
    , Thu, 28 Aug 2025
  • Arca wins 13th Mindanao Open chessfest
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 28 Aug 2025
  • Carzano rules FIDE-Rated Open Rapid Chess Tournament
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 28 Aug 2025
  • Pythons-Primo wins 5 golds, 3 silvers, 2 bronzes in Kadayawan judo
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 28 Aug 2025
  • Crawford to Be Stripped of WBA Title Once He Climb the Ring to Fight Canelo
    By Dong Secuya, , Wed, 27 Aug 2025
  • Sebastian Juarez Remains Undefeated with Captivating 4th Round TKO Over Louis Hernandez
    , Wed, 27 Aug 2025
  • Jajaira Gonzalez Prepared to Meet the Moment at 2025 World Boxing Championships
    , Wed, 27 Aug 2025
  • 2 Division & Former Unified World Champion Juan Francisco Estrada Confirmed for Eighth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Mexican Independence Day Weekend, Saturday September 13, in Las Vegas
    , Wed, 27 Aug 2025
  • THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 25 AUGUST 2025
    By Eric Armit, , Tue, 26 Aug 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.