Conwell vs Gray Predictions: Olympian can wrap it up early

2016 Olympian Charles Conwell looks to continue his unbeaten pro career this Saturday, August 10 as he takes on ‘King TooSharp’ Khiary Gray. The super welterweight clash takes place at the Michelob Ultra Arena at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Conwell-Gray will serve as the chief support to Vergil Ortiz Jr’s WBC interim super welterweight championship challenge against Serhii Bohachuk. DAZN will broadcast all the action live.

Here are my Conwell vs Gray predictions ahead of Saturday’s scrap.

Conwell was part of a superb Team USA boxing contingent at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Teammates included Shakur Stevenson, Mikaela Mayer and Claressa Shields, all of whom have gone on to win world titles at multiple weights in the pros. 

Conwell’s more steady progress should not be held against him. The 26-year-old Michigan native has had to battle back from a horrendous experience that caused him untold mental anguish. 

A 10th-round TKO of world-ranked contender Patrick Day should have put Conwell on the map as a professional. But when Day passed away four days later due to injuries sustained in the fight, it sent Conwell spiralling. It is a cruel upshot of this savage sport that sometimes, tragically, lives are lost. 

Conwell had not acted cruelly in the fight. The ultimately-fatal shots had been thrown with the intention of victory, not catastrophe. But still, Conwell grappled with guilt over what had transpired. He fights on, but carries his harrowing experience close. 

The American finds himself on the cusp of great things. Ranked in the top 10 by The Ring, WBC and WBO; a world title shot is surely in Conwell’s future. Wins over seasoned campaigners like Nathaniel Gillimore Juan Carlos Abreu and Silverio Ortiz have stood him in good stead. But victory over Gray is a prerequisite to further success, of course.

Gray is far from the best fighter Conwell has come across. An uninspiring 18-6-1, half of those defeats have come by knockout. Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan and current IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev are the most recognisable names on his ledger. Gray was stopped in six by the former and decisioned over eight by the latter.

The Murtazaliev result is impressive because the Russian can really bang. He got Jack Culcay out of there in April to win the title. But Gray’s resilience is called into question by knockout losses to the unimpressive Aleksei Evchenko and Ian Green. Conwell has 14 knockouts from his 19 wins. Make no mistake, the Olympian can finish this fight.

Conwell vs Gray Fight Odds

Gray finds himself in the position of underdog here, with a remote 10/1 chance of getting the win. Conwell is the heavy favourite, with a win available at 1/33. A draw is priced up at 20/1.

Conwell vs Gray Full Card

Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Serhii Bohachuk; For Bohachuk's interim WBC world super welterweight title Charles Conwell vs. Khiary Gray; Super welterweight 

Kenneth Sims Jr. vs. Jair Valtierra; Super lightweight 

Gabriela Fundora vs. Daniela Ansenjo; For Fundora's IBF women's world flyweight title 

Joel Iriarte vs. TBA; Welterweight 

Maricela Cornejo vs. Cecelia Braekhus; WBA women’s interim super welterweight

Eric Priest vs. Luka Lozo; Middleweight 

Johnny Canas vs. TBA; Lightweight 

Jordan Fuentes vs. James Mulder; Super bantamweight 

Figo Gonzalez vs. Jose Gonzalez; Bantamweight Jennah Creason vs. Kelsey Wickstrum; Women's welterweight

Conwell vs Gray Prediction

This fight is Conwell’s to lose. Every boxing match starts as a two-horse race, but the 26-year-olds superiority in almost every department gives him a considerable head-start. Look for this to manifest inside the distance.

My pick is Conwell by knockout in the fourth round at odds of 11/2.

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