Ryan Conway is ready to come through the pro ranks the hard way and will come in heavier for his second pro contest.
He’s next in action at the Park Inn Hotel, Northampton, on the evening of Wednesday December 8, as part of a show staged by BCB Promotions.
The 24-year-old made his pro debut two months ago, at the Deco in his hometown, in what turned out to be a lively featherweight affair.
At four days notice, he was matched with Stanislav Bilohurov, a Ukrainian left-hander and a national amateur champion in his homeland.
A tough contest ensued, where Conway had to dig deep to prevail, at the final bell, through a 39-38 scoreline, as he saw off Bilohurov by a point.
Conway was pleased to be put through his paces, though, and is used to being matched tough from his amateur career, representing Kings Heath Boxing Club in Northampton.
That saw him amass 49 bouts, containing 35 victories, with his maiden pro outing making it a half-century of meaningful fights.
He’s the younger brother of Kieron Conway, a British and WBO Inter-Continental title challenger, the night after beating JJ Metcalf on points in Liverpool.
Their father, James Conway, trains them both, having opened the Team Shoe-Box gym in Northampton, after previously being a coach at Kings Heath.
Ryan said: “To have my hand raised, with my brother and dad there, on my debut was a great feeling, but it didn’t turn out to be easy.
“My debut was against a decent opponent, no doubt about it. For the first couple of rounds, I hit him with everything and he just stood there.
“At one point, I thought I had him. I caught him with a backhand and I saw his legs dip, but he just shrugged it off and kept on coming.
“I was happy with the test, I could have had someone who fell over and that wouldn’t have taught me anything. Who I had kept changing all through the build-up.
“It wasn’t just that, I had to lose 8lbs just to fight him, because he was only willing to do it at featherweight, which is too small for me.
“To get in with a decent southpaw shows that I’m willing to fight anyone, which I’ll keep on doing all through my pro career.
“I wasn’t completely happy with my debut. I gassed out a bit towards the end, so I need to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
“But my jab worked well and I believe in my skills so, if I stick to what I know, I should do well. I’ve got a lot to learn, but I’m sure that I’ll get there.”