Charles Conwell to fight on after fateful bout with Patrick Day

[Ruthless-RKO]

The junior middleweight prospect is planning his return to boxing following the tragic death of an opponent.

You and me, it might be close to impossible to get back to business, as compared to the situation for Charles Conwell.

The Ohio boxer has been on the ascent since turning pro after the 2016 Olympics. He was taking incremental steps up the ladder, and his Oct. 12 fight against Patrick Day was on paper perhaps his stiffest challenge. The junior middleweight, age 22, handled his business in sharp fashion, looking like a prospect soon to graduate to contender status.

Then fate injected itself hard into the matter. In round 10, the Long Island-based Day absorbed several hard shots in that Chicago ring, and down he went. He was unconscious, and he would not fully regain his faculties. The 27-year-old pugilist stopped breathing on the way to the hospital, and his brain bore the brunt of being without proper oxygenation. The popular and personable athlete fought, but on Oct. 16, his battle ended. Day died, and the fight game contended with the tragedy.

We felt for his family, for his friends, for his trainer, team, and his opponent, Conwell.

The “winner” admitted he stayed up all night Saturday into Sunday, praying for a miracle. It wasn’t to be.

We wondered, would he, could he, come back to the ring? This has been his vocational trajectory — would he want to solider on, and if he did, could he summon the same aggression that brought him eight KOs in 11 wins?

Yes, he decided pretty quickly, he’d fight on. Chats with family, friends, and even Pat’s trainer, Joe Higgins, helped form his decision.

I fight on, he decided.

On Jan. 31, Conwell will glove up again, in the Philadelphia area, against an opponent to be named.

And how is he mentally?

”Great,” said the boxer, promoted by DiBella Entertainment.

And yes, he admitted that pragmatics play a part in his return.

“Bills are due,” he said.

Does he think he will be the same sort of fighter, since that fateful night?

”I will be new and improved,” Conwell declared. ”Training camp is going to get me tight, all the way up. Sparring, training, running will take me up!”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Not an easy decision.

[margaret thatcher]

For a pro boxer it probably was, very few quit after this type of thing. Some may feel empowered

[Best Coast]

On Jan. 31, Conwell will glove up again, in the Philadelphia area, against an opponent to be named.

Good to see Charles getting back into action in a relatively short amount of time (3 1/2 months). The longer delay might make it more likely that Day's death could take a mental toll. Based on most world-level fighters whose opponents died due to injuries they caused, 3-4 months is about an average layoff between fights before returning to the ring. Most fighters that I am familiar with who came back that quickly went on to have successful careers after they resumed fighting, including Gabe Ruelas, Fernando Montiel, Barry McGuigan, Lupe Pintor, Ray Mancini, Sugar Ramos & Emile Griffith. Griffith actually fought for another 15 years in 80+ bouts til he retired at age 39.

Both of the fighters who were involved just this year in the ring deaths of Dadashev & Santillan this past summer have also returned to action, so Conwell's decision to fight on is not as rare as some might think.

[margaret thatcher]

Which young upcoming fighters quit straight after killing someone? Very very few if any

These guys beat opponents down for a living, and a lot of them lived their whole life with their worth being based on how thoroughly they could do that. Killing someone in the ring probably gives a lot of them a confidence boost, it's pretty much the ultimate show of superiority.

[world ranked]

Which young upcoming fighters quit straight after killing someone? Very very few if any

These guys beat opponents down for a living, and a lot of them lived their whole life with their worth being based on how thoroughly they could do that. Killing someone in the ring probably gives a lot of them a confidence boost, it's pretty much the ultimate show of superiority.

There are some who think it could be me on the other side the next time or the fire to hurt someone which is needed may go. The same could be said for Subriel Mathias as well who was in Maxim Dadashev.