Charles Conwell looking to make a statement
After nine rounds of steady action, rising super welterweight contender Charles “Bad News” Conwell (14-0, 11 KO’s) defeated Madiyar Ashkeyev (14-1, 7 KO’s) by way of TKO. Ashkeyev was the second consecutive undefeated fighter for Conwell. Bad News purposefully chose a fighter with an unblemished record to prove he is a force to be reckoned with.
Provided that he maintains his winning ways, Conwell should be able to position himself into some meaningful fights fairly soon. At the current moment, the Cleveland native is ranked #8 by the IBF. According to Conwell himself, he would love to be challenging for a world title in 2021, or at the latest by 2022.
TWO-FISTED DEMOLITION
The ring for the night was somewhat small and that set the tone of the main event perfectly. Right from the start, both men were content on staging a phone booth war. Behind high guards, they stepped to each other and began winging big shots. The majority of the punches were hooks, and a good number were to the body. Throughout the first two rounds, despite consistent pressure, there was a great deal of clinching.
In the third round, Conwell appeared to switch gears from brawling to boxing. Rather than sit in the trenches with Ashkeyev, Bad News used his feet and fought more from range. Along with the change in tactics, there was a mild dip in Ashkeyev’s vigor. Instead of the fight feeling neck-and-neck, the Clevelander was the established ring general.
Conwell did a great job of mixing up his attack. Over the fifth and sixth periods, he utilized his jab, straight right and menacing hooks to the head and torso. As he fell deeper into his offensive groove, Bad News absorbed less punishment. Ashkeyev never halted his attack, but he fought with diminishing punching power. Apparently, the body work had poked a hole in his gas tank.
BEGINNING OF THE END
In the seventh, Ashkeyev was mentally checked out. He was getting roughed up and pushed around without any answers. As a result, he turned his back on more than one occasion and was warned by referee Jack Reiss for the violation. To matters worse, in between the eighth and ninth round, Ashkeyev’s own corner said if he did not improve they were throwing in the towel. In the corner after the ninth round, his corner remained true to their word and stopped the fight.
Ironically, the ninth was one of the slowest periods in the bout. Overall, it was solid rather one-sided win for Charles Conwell.
By: Bakari Simpson
