Friday’s Matchroom Fight Camp card will feature a junior middleweight matchup between 24-year-old Kieron Conway and 31-year-old Navid Mansouri, with — due respect — Matchroom surely hoping that Conway will do the job and continue working his way back up the domestic ranks.
Conway (14-1-1, 3 KO) fought Ted Cheeseman for the British 154-pound title in June 2019, going to a controversial draw in a fight most felt Cheeseman had clearly won. He’s won two straight against a lower tier of opposition since then, fighting in October and November of last year, and after a long break is looking to pick up what would really be the best win of his career.
But Mansouri (20-3-2, 6 KO) definitely does have the experience edge, and he feels that could get the job done against the younger man on Friday in Matchroom’s garden.
“I think they’re overlooking me,” said Mansouri. “They think Nav is done, but this fight just brought me back to life. I need this win. I’m desperate to get this win. It puts that little bit extra fire into it. I’m confident. I’m well-schooled and experienced in this game now. We never stop learning. I think I’ll have too much experience for Conway when it comes down to it.
“We shared some rounds a few years ago in Marbella but I can’t take anything from that. I can’t remember too much from the spar. It was a long time ago and he’s come on loads, and I’ve come on loads since then too. I was injured back then as well. He’s a really nice kid but this is business and it’s my chance to shine again in the UK.
“We kind of box in similar ways. We’ll set traps for each other and it will be an intelligent fight. That’s the way I see it going. It’s all about the timing and speed, and the work rate we’re going to put into it. He’s tough and slick, it will be a great fight to watch. I haven’t boxed in the UK for a few years, now is the time to make a statement.”
Mansouri last fought in Nov. 2019, losing a decision to Stephen Danyo in the Netherlands. As he noted, this will be his first fight in the UK since 2017, as he’s mainly fought in Spain since then.