Smiles better – Conlan happy with performance
It was a case of same same but different for Michael Conlan as he extended his unbeaten start to pro life over the weekend.
The Top Rank star again registered a third round stoppage win, his third since debuting in March, as he accounted for local favourite Jarrett Owen at the SunCorp Stadium in Brisbane.
However, unlike his first two victories where the Belfast super bantamweight was self critical, the Irish talent was in positive mood following his latest win.
Conlan has been honest about how disappointed he was with his two bill topping displays, even with fight fans and industry people explaining it was hard to look good against ultra defensive operators trying to last as many rounds as they can.
This time round he sang off a more upbeat hymn sheet.
“I felt my performance was a an improvement on my last two performances. I feel I am progressing naturally and little by little when I am in the gym and with each fight I am getting better and better,” he said.
“I was happy with the performance and happy with the stoppage. In the third round I felt I found my rhythm and sit down on my punches a bit more. I was trying to box him at the start because I was expecting him to come forward a bit, but when I knew i didn’t have to use those boxing skills I went forward. I felt I would have looked better if it lasted longer.”
Conlan, who hopes to be out again in September before a Christmas homecoming, admits he was hoping Owen would be more aggressive and ambitious, thus providing him with the chance to show his boxing ability.
However, reveals a meeting in his opponents dressing room after revealed he was never going to get that.
“I was expecting a bit more of a fight. I said to him in the dressing room after ‘I thought you were going to give me a bit more of a go’, but he said his team told him to move, they didn’t want to trade.”
