By Oscar Pick
BECOMING a parent can completely change a fighter’s mindset. All of a sudden, the thought of taking risks and making tremendous sacrifices will seem less appealing as they instead make a conscious effort to mitigate the occupational hazards associated with boxing.
This, in turn, may cause some to remove themselves from the brutal occupation they once fell in love with. For others, though, the responsibility to provide for their family can unearth an entirely new motivation, where their childhood dreams are not hindered but enhanced.
“There are bigger stakes on the line. If I don’t do well, my pay decreases,” said Kieron Conway who, just over a month ago, welcomed a new addition into his family.
“[My daughter] needs to have a certain lifestyle – she needs to eat; she needs to be clothed; she needs to be housed.
“It’s all about her now; it’s all about my family.”
Seemingly, the opportunity to earn life-changing sums of money could not have arrived at a better time for Conway.
On the return of Matchroom’s Prizefighter tournament, the 28-year-old has the chance to not only elevate his profile in the middleweight division, but also, should he progress to the final, take home a lucrative $1million bonus.
“It’s huge,” he said. “There are fighters in this tournament who try to play down the money, and say they’re not motivated by it.
“But let’s be honest, if you’re not motivated by the money then you wouldn’t be in this tournament.
“So yeah, we’ll just call it how it is. $1million for three fights is a bit above what we’re used to.”
Conway returns to the ring following a dominant sixth-round stoppage victory over former British title challenger Linus Udofia back in October last year.
On October 5, 2023, in Sheffield, England, Kieron Conway from Great Britain is seen observing a press conference before the WBA featherweight event featuring Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington at The Cutler’s Hall. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
His momentum was stalled when the Prizefigher quarter-finals – now taking place in Suita, Japan, on July 15 – were pushed back by several months.
But the delay, albeit frustrating, has given Conway more time to prepare for his opponent, Ainiwaer Yilixiati – an enigmatic puncher from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in Northwestern China.
“It’s been difficult to find out too much about him, but I’ve found what I would consider to be enough,” Conway said.
“I think he’ll try to knock me out, because he’s got a lot of knockouts on his record, but [his opponents] are not on this level.
“These people shouldn’t even be in a ring; I don’t even know if they’ve had boxing lessons – all these guys he’s been knocking over.
“I don’t care how tough he is. When my punches land on his face, and square in the middle of his nose, there’s going to be a different game plan that comes in.
“I’m a lot bigger than him, and I know what my punches will feel like on fight night.”
Undefeated middleweights Aaron McKenna and Mark Dickinson will join Conway in the quarter-finals which, unlike in previous Prizefighter tournaments, are each set for 10 rounds – with the semi-finals and final taking place on separate nights.
The longer format, however, should suit Conway who, in an earlier tournament promoted by Boxxer, suffered his first professional defeat following a three-round semi-final bout.
“I turned up to that tournament just expecting to win, because those guys weren’t on my level,” he admitted.
“So that loss really kicked me up the arse; it put me into a new gear and gave me a different frame of mind.”
Since then, Conway has tested himself down at super-welterweight, where he most notably drew with Ted Cheeseman in an all-British barnburner (below) and, around two years later, lost a narrow split decision to Souleymane Cissokho.
Action Images/Andrew Boyers
Now, having responded impressively to those setbacks, he campaigns at 160 lbs, using the extra weight to further develop his punch power, which, despite his record suggesting otherwise, has often posed problems for his opponents.
“The power has always been there,” Conway said. “My amateur coach used to say that I’m one of the hardest hitters he’s felt on the pads.
“I think people realise pretty soon into a fight that it’s not the sort of power you want to be running in and getting hit with.”
Along with a $1million carrot dangling for the winner, there are also $100k knockout bonuses up for grabs in each round of the tournament.
But aside from the financial incentives, Conway knows exactly what winning this Prizefighter relaunch would mean for his career.
From the age of 11, he has been trained by his dad, James Conway, in Northampton, and while securing a world title shot has always been the main focus, he has often considered the possibility of staging a showdown at Northampton Saints’ rugby ground.
This, for Conway, is enough of a reason to remain in his hometown, where he is able to support his family and bang the drum for a potential stadium fight.
“It’s good for me to be a Dad at home while finishing off my training camp,” he said.
“A lot of people would say that [staying at home is] a distraction but, while there were a couple of days [after my daughter was born] when it was difficult to sleep, I was still able to spar and keep on top of my strength and conditioning. My fiancée is very understanding as well.
“My intentions are to keep winning and keep building a fan base. I’ve got a really good support system in Northampton, so I think that, one day, [a stadium fight] could be a big possibility.”
It is fair to say that, come fight night, the future of Conway’s boxing journey – and any accolades or prizes that may follow – will hang in the balance.
The stakes are, indeed, terrifically high.
