BoxRec

NEW YORK (February 8, 2019)-TONIGHT, Heralded amateur, heavyweight Sonny Conto will make his long-waited pro debut at 2300 Arena in his hometown of Philadelphia.

Conto, 22 years-old will take on Jimmie Levins in a four-round bout.

"I feel like a champ. All of the hard work is done. This is the moment that I have been waiting for. I am anxious. I am excited, said Conto.



"I have been thinking about this moment since I started boxing. This is just the beginning. Philly has a strong root of fighters. I am proud to represent Philadelphia, South Philadelphia. I am from right on 9th Street, where they did the Rocky Movie."

"I do not feel any pressure fighting at home. I rise to the occasion with pressure."

"Dave McWater is the best manager in the world. Top Rank is the best promoter in the world. I feel like I will do big things with each of them."

Conto was a two-time Pennsylvania Golden Gloves Champion as well as a Silver Medalist in the 2018 National Golden Gloves and a Bronze Medalist in the 2017 National Golden Gloves.

Conto weighed in at 215.4 lbs, while Levins was 219.2 at Thursday's weigh-in.

Below is the fight week media day interview and media work out videos.

thats a lot of rings

jamamb wrote: ↑08 Feb 2019, 18:16 thats a lot of rings

I love that. I wonder who the kid was who was screaming in the background for Conto.

Conto should do well in the paid ranks....he's got solid amateur credentials. He finished 2nd to Roney Hines last year at super heavy in the 2018 National Golden Gloves tourney.

Friday 8, February 2019
2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
promoter Raging Babe Events - Michelle Rosado
matchmaker J Russell Peltz

Sonny Conto debut
vs
Jimmie Levins 0 4 0

Levins RTD with 45 sec. left in round 1
He went down several times (ruled slips)
The ref called the doctor who talked with him and stopped the fight




FULL CARD HIGHLIGHTS and VIDEO HERE:
https://www.the13thround.com/phpBB2/vie ... 8&t=129444


ENJOY!!

Been waiting for Conto's debut...but that was a weird two minutes. Both the opponent and the referee seemed in way over their heads.

a new white hw hope for the americans i guess

looks smallish? boxrec says 6'4 but all fights ive seen him in he looks probably shorter. then again, so many guys today have added fat bulk that ppl call 'size', tbf this guy looks in good shape

lol how does that ref rule so many slips without giving the guy a warning or a count or something? was the last one not a clear kd too

jamamb wrote: ↑09 Feb 2019, 01:04 a new white hw hope for the americans i guess

looks smallish? boxrec says 6'4 but all fights ive seen him in he looks probably shorter. then again, so many guys today have added fat bulk that ppl call 'size', tbf this guy looks in good shape

lol how does that ref rule so many slips without giving the guy a warning or a count or something? was the last one not a clear kd too

He looks more thin than short, but he does look in shape.

Americans looking for a white hope is kind of like calling a fighter a palooka...it's not really a thing anymore on any sort of scale.

punchoutsb wrote: ↑09 Feb 2019, 01:33Americans looking for a white hope is kind of like calling a fighter a palooka...it's not really a thing anymore on any sort of scale.

You nailed it. That nonsense gradually played itself out over a 100-year period. When it started back in early 1900s, racism was so rampant in America that black folks were routinely lynched (and not just in the South). When Jack Johnson beat "Great White Hope" James Jeffries on July 4, 1910 there were race riots in about a dozen towns across the US.

One of those towns with race riots was Omaha, Nebraska, where 100+ years later over 10,000 people at a time regularly pack out the Century Link Arena, where black, white and brown fans gather to cheer local hero Terence Crawford.

jamamb wrote: ↑09 Feb 2019, 01:04 a new white hw hope for the americans i guess

looks smallish? boxrec says 6'4 but all fights ive seen him in he looks probably shorter. then again, so many guys today have added fat bulk that ppl call 'size', tbf this guy looks in good shape

lol how does that ref rule so many slips without giving the guy a warning or a count or something? was the last one not a clear kd too

Nah...America hasn't played that in quite some time. His opponent was an unfortunate choice, as you saw.

Looking for a white hope?

Doubtful.

Americans have to actually give a damn about heavyweight boxing (along with the entire sport) before they give any thought to white hopes.

And overall, heavyweight boxing has gone the way of dinosaurs when it comes to US public interest.

who was the last american world class hw anyway?

jamamb wrote: ↑09 Feb 2019, 18:47 who was the last american world class hw anyway?

Um, Deontay Wilder?

lol, white american i meant

jamamb wrote: ↑09 Feb 2019, 19:08 lol, white american i meant

Morrison came to mind first and maybe he was really the last. Good question. Those of us in the States who are still boxing fans don't really pay much attention to white/black for the most part anymore. It was really big when Cooney was a pretender, um, I mean contender.