Heights High Alum Turns Pro Boxer

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - Charles Conwell Jr, a Heights High School graduate and middleweight Olympic boxer, is turning pro. Conwell signed a management contract with Split T Management in December and signed a co-promotional deal with Lou DiBella and Tony Holden on March 5.

Conwell competed for the US at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. In the lead-up to the games, his father bestowed the nickname "Bad News" on his son, Cleveland Magazine reported. The 2016 Olympics will be Conwell's last amateur performance.

He announced his professional signing at the Barclay's Center. Conwell told ESPN that he plans to fight as a junior middleweight, at a 154-pounds, as a pro. Conwell boxed at 164-pounds as an amateur, but told ESPN that dropping the weight would be no problem at all.

Conwell will likely make his debut in April or early May, cleveland.com says. His first fight will probably be held in Oklahoma, where Holden has been promoting boxing for years.

"I had Conwell on top of my list of American Olympians I was interested in signing," DiBella told ESPN. "I thought he was one of the top two American Olympians with [silver medalist] Shakur Stevenson. I also felt that Charles was the best fit for my company. He's tremendously poised in the ring for his age, he has great amateur experience, he can punch, he can move, he's multidimensional. He's one of those rare talents."

Conwell lost his opening match in Rio, a tightly fought contest, and was eliminated from competition. He went straight from his senior prom to training for the Olympics. Now the 19-year-old will begin preparing for his first professional fight.

Cleveland Heights will be watching closely to see how one of its favorite sons performs.

Photo from Shutterstock