Mike Conway mixing grit and guile ahead of second pro fight

Tomorrow night [Saturday 22nd], Mike Conway will box for the second time of his professional career at the Meadows Racetrack & Casino in Washington, Pennsylvania.

Light welter Mike is the middle child of the boxing Conway brothers, who are of Cork descent. Older brother Sean [3(0)-1(0)-1] plies his trade as an occasional and entertaining heavyweight, while younger brother Matt [8(4)-0] claimed the West Virginia welterweight title back in November.

‘Maverick’ Conway debuted on this card, stopping Christopher Kuhn in the first round, and will look to make it two in a row against Roger Blankenship.

Irish-Boxing.com have spoken to Matt and Sean over the past year, and caught up with Mike ahead of his fight this weekend.

Matt is known for his skill, Sean loves to throw big shots, and Mike is somewhere in between. Describing his style, the 22 year old noted how it is “a bit of a mix.”

“For years I’ve always had more of a Gatti style, not the purest boxer but a mean slugger and inside fighter – now since turning professional we’ve added more of a Lomachenko style to even everything out and kind of recreate me as a whole new fighter.”

While Tonka Truck Sean is a big man, Mike and Matt are close in weight – leading to some furious spars under the watchful eye of their father and coach.

Mike outlined how “Matt and I actually spar constantly, it’s the best work most of the time because we know each other’s weakness and advantages and we can push each other in ways other fighters and coaches couldn’t.”

“Me and Matt have started working together on the same construction crew, we have competitions and push each other at work all day long then in the gym all night long.”

“Everything is a competition between the three of us, but it’s always to make each other better.”

Conway has done his homework on his upcoming opponent, and details how the Ohio debutant “is a lefty and just a couple inches taller,with a tendency to switch, and it seems that he likes to be on the inside a lot from what I’ve seen.”

“The plan is actually as simple as it gets: lots of right hands and left hooks, control his jab hand, and if it becomes an inside fight, dig the body and don’t stop.”

While is not looking past Blankenship, indeed he has done more study than most, Conway wants to ratchet up the activity ahead of a potential move down in weight.

The young Mountaineer remarked that “my plan for the rest of the year is to hopefully end the year and have five or six fights and sometime towards the end of Summer maybe make the cut to 135lbs to try and be the bigger guy in the weight.”

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LISTEN: Mick Conlan joins Gavan Casey and Joe O’Neill on Episode 4 of The Irish Boxing Show