Skoglund had been working with veteran coach Tommy Antman since switching his training base from Berlin to Nyköping, but following Antman’s retirement earlier this year, the 25 year-old opted to look closer to home for a replacement
‘’When it comes to getting the best out of me, I’m 100% sure my Dad is the best man for the job,’’ says Skoglund. ‘’He was in my corner for all of my amateur fights, and when I think back to when I’ve done the best and performed better than expected, it was when I was with him. We’ve been doing this together for such a long time, he really suits me as a trainer and I feel safe with him.
‘’We have a special relationship and I feel very lucky to have him. Normally a coach wants to put their individual touch on you. They have an idea on what you should do and how it should look, but that’s not the case with my father. He doesn’t tell me what to do, we have a dialogue, we talk things through and we agree. He just wants me to become as successful as I can be, that’s our common goal, and with his help, I’m sure I will reach my full potential.’’
Skoglund’s family centric training team is not just limited to his father, with brother Marcus acting as assistant coach and girlfriend Angelica as dietitian.
‘’It’s not for everyone to work with their family, but for me it just feels right,’’ he says. ‘’I trust them more than anybody and I’m very thankful for their support. My brother Marcus works as assistant coach, he takes me on the pads and gives me advice, and my girlfriend Angelica is very involved, I talk to her about boxing the whole time and she works as my dietitian.’’
‘’I know all of them would do anything to help me fulfill my dreams, and that’s the main reason I want to work with them rather than anyone else. My whole family lives boxing, it’s kind of like our lifestyle!’’
Erik Skoglund faces Timy Shala for the WBA International Light Heavyweight Championship on December 9 at the Rosvalla Arena in Nyköping. Tickets are available online via www.biljettforum.se or by calling 0771-130 150.
All the action will be shown live and exclusive in Scandinavia on Viaplay Fighting. For more information please visit www.viaplay.se.
