Charles Conwell Poised For Burst Of Activity As 154-Pound Division Heats Up

Nearly 17 months out of the ring is no way for an unbeaten 26-year-old boxer to move, so Charles Conwell said he was refreshed to be “back in my element” in cruising to a sixth-round stoppage of Nathaniel Gallimore Saturday night on the Ryan Garcia-Devin Haney undercard.

Even better for junior middleweight Conwell was the postfight pledge from Golden Boy Promotions to get him back in the ring by August.

“If you don’t use it, you lose it,” Conwell (19-0, 14 KOs), of Cleveland, told BoxingScene on Monday in the aftermath of a return bout he said was delayed by promotional and managerial issues.

“It felt so good to be back in there. It felt natural.”

Conwell was sublime, landing blows – including effective uppercuts – almost at will on the veteran Gallimore (22-8-1) in opening the pay-per-view portion of the Garcia-Haney card in Brooklyn, New York.

A barrage of punches on the fading 35-year-old Gallimore convinced referee Arthur Mercante Jr. to stop the fight.

“Me showing everyone I belong, that I’m a force to be reckoned with,” was the best thing about Saturday night, Conwell said. “I feel like I’m not far from a title shot. It’s in my near future – closer rather than farther.”

The junior middleweight division has crowned all new champions over the past two months. Sebastian Fundora captured the WBC and WBO belts by defeating Tim Tszyu by split decision on March 30. Three weeks before that, Israel Madrimov became WBA champion.

And Russia’s Bakhram Murtazaliev won the IBF strap April 6.

Yet Fundora is medically suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission until Sept. 27 because of the broken nose he suffered while beating Tszyu, and Madrimov’s Aug. 3 title defense in Los Angeles against Terence Crawford will be formally announced Wednesday by Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, and Matchroom Boxing.

Conwell is ranked No. 3 by the WBC.

“I like how Golden Boy will keep me active,” Conwell said. “That’s the type of activity I want and need. Activity sharpens skill and comfort in the ring.”