Conwell vs Gallimore Predictions: Olympic Charles blows off the rust

2016 Olympian Charles Conwell returns to the ring this Saturday, April 20, as he takes on gatekeeper Nathaniel Gallimore. The fight takes place at the Barclays Center in New York on the undercard of Devin Haney’s showdown with Ryan Garcia. DAZN will screen the bout. Here are my Conwell vs Gallimore predictions ahead of this super welterweight attraction.

Conwell is one of those can’t-miss prospects that come out of the Olympics with high hopes in the pros. The amateur sporting showpiece has long been a talent pipeline into the pro game. The expectations increase for the fighters swapping the five rings for the prize ring. Such is the elite status of the Olympic Games, greatness is expected of you merely for taking part.

So far, Conwell has held up his end of the bargain. The 26-year-old is 18-0 as a professional in a career dating back to 2017. Conwell’s exertions have seen him placed in the rankings of all four major sanctioning bodies, along with The Ring magazine. 

We are witnessing a fighter who surely sits on the cusp of a world title shot. Conwell is the number one contender for the WBC super welterweight championship. Sebastian Fundora claimed that belt last month along with the WBO strap in an absolute war with Tim Tsyzu. There is also a WBC interim belt out there, with Serhii Bohachuk holding that dubious distinction.

Interestingly, Conwell’s opponent on Saturday has faced both of the reigning WBC kingpins. Nathaniel Gallimore was stopped in the sixth round by both Fundora and Bohachuk. It’s sort of what he does. Not the bizarrely-specific round of his demise, but the brave losing efforts against big names.

Alongside these two champions, ‘Nate The Great’ has also shared the ring with former world title challenger Erickson Lubin and ex-unified champion Julian Williams. Gallimore lost via decision to those men, running Williams close in a majority decision defeat. 

Gallimore is the sort of talent that you have to fight in order to test your credentials at 154 pounds. The term “gatekeeper” gets thrown around a lot, to the point that it’s meaning has eroded. It does not mean “journeyman”. Despite their defeats, a true gatekeeper is not a serial loser. 

Rather, gatekeepers like Gallimore provide a vital litmus test of a fighter’s credentials. They also win more than they lose. ‘Nate The Great’ is 22-7-1 in his career. The men we have listed that have beaten him went on to do great things. But others fell at the Gallimore hurdle. 

The Jamaica-born boxer has ended the unbeaten records of Leon Lawson III, Jeison Rosario and Angelo Baez. This is true gatekeeping. If you aren’t destined for greatness or something close to it, chances are you aren’t getting past Gallimore. 

This is why fights like this are so important for up-and-comers like Conwell. On paper it doesn’t jump out like a fight with a fellow unbeaten boxer would. But unbeaten can often mean untested and a fighter can usually learn more from fights like this than they can facing a fellow prospect. Gallimore knows what it takes to be the best. That elevated level might be slightly above him, but he has fought enough elite fighters to have learned a thing or two. Conwell is in for an education and he can either knuckle down or learn the hard way. Just ask Lawson, Rosario and Baez what can happen against Gallimore if you aren’t on your game.

I feel Conwell will know what he is up against here. He’s been out of the ring for over a year, so there may be some rust. But his skills can carry him through here. I feel once Conwell has his sea legs under him again, he can engineer a stoppage victory. The odds on this outcome are 4/9. Look for Conwell to beat Gallimore inside the distance and start seeking that world title shot he’s owed.

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