Michael Conlan ready to make Terence Crawford style improvements

Forget The Last Dance and Basketball Michael Conlan [13(7)-0] has been using lockdown to watch and study boxing.

The Belfast fighter has being doing his own unique lockdown homework – and believes it will ensure he returns to the ring a better fighter when boxing resumes.

The world title hopeful – who according to manager and big brother, Jamie Conlan, will fight in Belfast in August – has been watching some of the greats from the past, as well as some of today’s standout fighters in a bid to add strings to his bow.

The Olympic medal winner is trying to take things from the like of Pernell Whitaker, Salvador Sanchez and Alexis Arguello.

Current pound for pound name Terrence Crawford is another he has been watching, but one that has been providing the Top Rank fighter with encouragement as well as tricks of the trade.

The Adam Booth trained 28-year-old has noticed the much heralded American didn’t begin as the nigh on flawless star he is now – and is confident he can make similar strides en route to achieving his goals.

“I am convinced that I will come back to the ring a better fighter. I’ve been watching a lot of Terence Crawford and I’ve been fascinated how he has developed from the night he defeated Ricky Burns in 2014,” Conlan told David Kelly in the Belfast Telegraph.

“I can see how my style is similar and how I can learn from him. There are some things he does that I know I can try out when things get back to normal,” he adds before discussing other study projects.

“Then there are guys like Pernell Whitaker, Salvador Sanchez and Alexis Arguello – those guys were incredible and I’ve seen something in them all that I can use.

“So, I’m excited about the chance to go and try new things when I get back into a camp. I haven’t just been sitting back and wasting time – I’ve been using it to make myself a better fighter.”

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