By Ryan Songalia

John "The Iceman" Scully is one of the best young trainers in the sport today. Following his glory days as a top contender in the 90's, where he registered a 38-11 (21 KO) record, he now dedicates his time to helping other young fighters achieve their dreams. Throughout a career that saw him throw fists with the likes of Tim Littles, Michael Nunn, Henry Maske, Scully became a fan favorite and a local icon in his hometown of Hartford, CT.

Now, 39 years into his life, the next phase of his boxing experience finds him training Israel "Pito" Cordona, Mike Oliver, and WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Jose Antonio Rivera. On September 23, he and his world champion charge Rivera will be inducted into the CES Ring of Honor, a distinction only shared by Vinny Pazienza, Micky Ward, and Marlon Starling. I spoke with John Scully about the past, present, and future of the one and only Iceman.

BoxingScene.com: What's the latest news Iceman?

John Scully: "Right now we are just finishing up training for the big show here this weekend."

BoxingScene.com: How is Mike Oliver's training going? How is he looking and what are your thoughts on his fight this weekend?

Scully: "Mike has worked pretty good for this fight. He's fighting at 126 instead of his usual 122 but he is fast enough and sharp enough to do it for a fight or two. He will make his run for a title at 122, though, if it gets that far. He's been getting alot of work in the gym with Pito Cardona and a few rounds with Matt Remillard, so the work has been solid."

BoxingScene.com: So how about Pito. It's been awhile since we've heard anything about him. How's he looking?

Scully: "He has made a great deal of progress in the last few months. At the beginning of this year he really had his hands full on a daily basis in the gym with a couple of my amateur kids but now his conditioning and strength have started to really come through again and I expect after a few fights he will be a real threat again like he was a few years ago."

BoxingScene.com: After all of your accomplishments and contributions to the sport, you are going to be honored this Saturday in Hartford, CT. How does it feel to be honored in your hometown in such a big event?

Scully: "Well, its kind of funny because I feel too young to be getting honored like this! But it feels real good, of course. Especially to be inducted on the same night as Jose. It's like we are, in part, being recognized for what we acomplished together earlier this year."

BoxingScene.com: How has Jose been taking this? Is he excited as well?

Scully: "Yeah, he seems very excited about it. I think since he won the world title his life has changed in terms of recognition and that's really something to have people in the game honor you like that after all the years of struggle and sacrifice."

BoxingScene.com: He still works and maintains his 9-5, how does he manage being a world class fighter and still have time to work? Is there ever a conflict there?

Scully: "So far it's worked out well enough. He has a real job with the court system but luckily they have worked with him to a certain degree to make things somewhat easier on him but, at the end of the day, he still has to go each day and take care of business. Jose is a really dedicated boxer though, and he is one of those rare guys that can deal with the double life."

BoxingScene.com: His next fight is going to be with Travis Simms, or so says the reports I'm getting. What are your thoughts on that matchup, and what will Jose show the world in that fight?

Scully: "Jose will do what he always does. Get in the best posible condition and fight as hard as he possibly can and see what happens."

BoxingScene.com: Peter Manfredo Jr is a guy I'm sure you know alot about. He has a fight with Joey Spina coming up next month. What are your thoughts on that fight?

Scully: "I have sparred with both guys and I think it is going to be a very, very exciting night for Providence. Joey might not be as talented as Peter but he comes to fight hard and has a very solid punch. Whoever wins it will have to work for it every step of the way, I think. There is a lot of pride on the line there. I would have to figure Peter to win the fight but I wouldnt be surprised if it is a good tussle while it lasts."

BoxingScene.com: I hear that you still spar from time to time with some of your guys. Since you hung up the gloves, have you ever gotten that itch to strap them on and get back in there?

Scully: "I actually sparred ten rounds with Matt Remillard one day last week and on another day I did eight rounds. Four with Enrique Palau and four more with a good amateur light heavy named Ron Scott. I honestly and truly feel I still have the skills and especially the experience and know-how to fight but I am committed to working with several pros and once you commit to that theres no turning back."

BoxingScene.com: (Laughs) That sounds really cool.

Scully: "It is. I am the only trainer that can spar 12 REAL rounds I bet."

BoxingScene.com: Looking back on all of your accomplishments, what stays with you as your finest moment in your career?

Scully: "As an amateur I always come back to beating world amateur champion Darin Allen to win gold at the Eastern Olympic trials. Darin had beaten Henry Maske to win the world title and had also beaten some of the top amateurs in the world including Anthony Hembrick, William Guthrie and Frank Tate.

As a pro, believe it or not, I always like to recall the fight where I lost a 12 round decision to Michael Nunn because that was one of my best fights as a pro and it was a fight where compubox had me landing more punches than Nunn and at a much higher percentage too. I am probably one of the few if the only guy that can say they outlanded Michael Nunn in a fight."

BoxingScene.com: You came up in the 80's, the decade of excess. You have stated before that you never even tasted alcohol, let alone let subtances destroy your career. How hard was that to maintain with all that was going on around you, and do you implore all of your fighters to follow suit?

Scully: "Avoiding alcohol, drugs and cigarettes has been the easiest thing I have ever done in my life. I equate doing those things to running your head into a brick wall on a daily basis or eating mud because its a cool thing to do.

I dont implore anybody to do anything but I have hopes that certain people would take it upon themselves to be influenced in a good way."

BoxingScene.com: You're a local icon in Hartford. Besides training fighters, do you do anything else to help out the community?

Scully: "I have been to many schools and youth groups over the years doing HIV/AIDS awareness talks and I actually have a full size full color poster that has been out for ten years and in two weeks we wil be taking a ten year anniversary picture to kind of update the poster. It is an HIV awareness poster with myself as the featured person in the picture and it has gone all over the world."

BoxingScene.com: You're 39 years young. How do you maintain your youth?

Scully: "I dont know but it is weird. I have always, always felt young and I continue to spar in the gyms and work out to keep myself that way and, really, I do not at all feel my age. I think the guys I spar with are surprised at my stamina at this point. The craziest thing, though, is when I was 24 I fought a guy that was 35 and I kept thinking before the fight 'this guy is old!'.

We fought and I won but it was a good, competitive fight and that showed me something. Now I box and make it a point to check myself to see if I have skills and movement and abilities left and I say that I honestly do. The effects of age in a big way is a state of mind, I really believe that. There was a time a few years ago when I was sparring a lot but I felt old and used up.

Now, though? I feel sometimes as sharp as I ever was."

BoxingScene.com: I know you're probably tired of answering this question, but how is the book coming along? Can you give us a brief synopsis of what the book will cover?

Scully: "As far as my book goes, I am very glad you asked that. I have read quite a few boxing books by boxers over the years and I feel 100 percent that my book will be the realest boxing book ever written by a boxer.

I cover what it feels like to be a fighter. What it feels like to get hit. Everything. I talk about some of the greatest boxers that the average fan has never heard of. I give insight into training with the likes of Toney, Jones Jr., Maske, Pazienza. It is a book that could only be written by a boxer. No announcer, reporter, historian, manager, promoter, trainer or fan could write this book. No way."

BoxingScene.com: In retrospect, do you still look at the sport the way you did as a bright eyed prospect, or have your emotions toward boxing changed?

Scully: "Well, put it this way. Two ways. First is how I have chapters in my book that deal with some of my bigger fights and one thing I talk about is how the fights and the atmosphere in regard to the business end of things made it much different than I imagined they would be when I was a kid.

Putting it another way. Because I've seen so much boxing on an everyday basis for all these years, I hardly watch fights anymore. Who would believe me when I say I have never seen the Castillo-Marquez fights? You would be amazed at some of the big name boxers out there today who I have never even seen. I never saw Barrera-Hamed. I never saw Barrera-Pacquio. I actually don't think I have ever even seen Manny Pacquiao fight before."

BoxingScene.com: What do you have to say to the young kid who is 11 or 12 and has the same dreams you did as a kid of becoming a fighter?


Scully: "I always tell the one basic thing on top of telling them to listen to their coach, practice all you moves, eat good, dont drink, do drugs or smoke.

I tell them all one universal thing: 'Train harder than everybody else in your gym no matter if it is a golden gloves champion or Floyd Mayweather. Do more than all of them because the one thing in boxing you can control is who is in the best condition."

BoxingScene.com: Is there anything you would like to say to those who are undecided about coming down to Hartford Saturday night?

Scully: "I can only tell them that you have a local show that features 5 super hot prospects, a former USBA/NABF champion and five former national amateur champions as well as a 2004 US Olympian. What more do you need to know?"

Any questions, comments? Send them to me at mc_rson@yahoo.com