One of the hottest, if not the hottest, weight classes in boxing is the junior middleweight division. Names like Terence Crawford, Vergil Ortiz Jr., Serhii Bohachuk, Israil Madrimov, Sebastian Fundora, and more make for some intriguing matchups in 2025. One name that can easily be inserted into that group is 27-year-old Charles Conwell (20-0, 13 KOs). The Cleveland, OH native hasn’t had a career to date that matched his potential, but now, under Golden Boy, he has the opportunity to raise his profile and fight for a title soon. With Conwell filling the co-main slot on Saturday night against Gerardo Vergara (20-0, 13 KOs), he is ready to show the world that his time is now, and the rest of the division should beware.
Charles Conwell Fulfills A Dream Earlier Than Anticipated
The story of Conwell is an interesting one. He’s been a pro since 2017, and while being with promoter Lou Dibella, his career had quite a few “starts & stops,” as he described it, due to boxing politics and opponents seeing a fight against him as too much of a risk with no reward. Despite these challenges, Conwell didn’t allow them to affect his character. He stayed focused, knowing his day would come.
While navigating through those hurdles, Conwell took the time to do something outside of the ring that he had only dreamed of doing but much later in life: opening a boxing gym. Initially, Conwell saw it as a great opportunity to work out at all times of the day and night without any restrictions. However, he soon realized the positive impact it could have on the kids in the area. This realization motivated him even more to complete the project and open the gym.
Conwell opened Team T.U.F.F Combat & Fitness in East Cleveland, OH, in September. It’s a dream come true for the junior middleweight contender, and he hopes it can restore boxing in an area where it once had a strong presence.
“This year, I did something big, and that was to open up my own gym. I’m excited about that. I teamed up with my family and friends, and we created something for the kids from the inner city. We partnered up with a mental health agency, so everything is going real well for me outside of the ring.
“It was always a goal of mine to have my own gym, and it came true, so that is one of the things I am excited to talk about outside of the ring. It’s located in East Cleveland, OH, in an underserved community. There used to be boxing there. They shut the gym down there a while back, so I felt it was a perfect opportunity for me to bring boxing back to that neighborhood.”
Conwell Signs Up For A “Golden” Opportunity
In February, Conwell signed a promotional deal with Golden Boy and wasted no time showing his potential, scoring TKO & KO victories in April and August respectively. Saturday’s fight on DAZN will be his third bout this year, marking the first time he has fought three times in a year since 2020. As many boxing fans know, activity matters, and Conwell staying busy can only mean that the junior middleweight division needs to keep an eye out as he will soon be knocking on the door of a title shot.
“As mentioned, I haven’t been this active since 2020, and it’s 2024, so I’m excited,” said Conwell with an innocent smile. “I feel like this is what I needed, especially coming off of long layoffs and a start/stop career. The consistency of staying active in the ring just makes you better, more comfortable in the ring, and a better overall fighter. I’m going into the prime of my career, so it’s time to catch up.”
Adding A New S&C Coach For A Foreign Opponent
Since signing with Golden Boy, Conwell has brought on Lorenzo Buckingham as his Strength & Conditioning Coach to further hone his skills as he approaches higher levels of opponents. Conwell described the addition of Buckingham as something that has gone “real smooth,” and he is pleased with how his body is responding to the training.
Conwell must be sharp as his opponent, Vergara, is from Argentina and will be making his US debut. With 13 of his 20 wins being by stoppage, Conwell is not taking Vergara lightly. He understands the threat his opponent poses, even with limited footage available.
“You just have to prepare for everything,” said a confident Conwell. “I’ve gone on YouTube and seen he is a southpaw and a real tough guy that is coming to win so that right there is enough motivation for me to get up every morning and be the best I can be. I work on everything with no stone unturned. I’m just trying to perform better than I did last time. This is the biggest fight of my career, as big things are on the horizon for me. This is my world title shot for me! I’m locked in and ready.”
With so much riding on this fight, what should fans in attendance and watching on DAZN expect from the junior middleweight contender looking to secure a big fight in 2025? “You are going to see my hand raised and a win in dominant fashion. For me to get the big fights, I need to have another statement win and finish out the year strong. I’m ready to show there are levels to this game and that I’m ready for what’s next.”
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