CHARLES Conwell could’ve been forgiven for thinking he had reached the final hurdle before stepping up for a world title shot. It turned out, rather unexpectedly, that the hurdle was too much to overcome as upset king Jorge Garcia Perez grabbed a shock win in California.
Boxing on the undercard of Gabriela Fundora’s seventh-round knockout of Marilyn Badillo, Perez never stopped punching to head and body, earning himself a deserved split decision. Two of the judges favoured him at 115-113, while a third went 115-113 the other way.
“My team, keep reinforcing round after round. We’re winning, we’re winning. Go ahead, keep going. And thankfully, thank God, we actually won,” said a delighted Perez afterwards, responding to Chris Mannix’s question on whether he felt he would get the win.
The winner pointed to a few factors that helped him get over the finishing line. Most came from diligent efforts during training camp to manage the 12 rounds and use his experience to prevail.
Perez explained: “My conditioning, my camp. We did a great camp. Every fight, I feel that we get better and better. Without my family, without my team, I wouldn’t do this. I’m extremely happy.
“I worked really, really hard. I knew that winning this fight, something big could happen. A world title fight could happen. I know with this type of fight and if I keep working, it’s gonna happen. A title’s gonna come my way.”
With 21-0 Conwell poised to box unified champion Sebastian Fundora later in the year, or early in 2026, this supposed stepping stone became an accidental stumbling block. Xander Zayas’ name was also linked to Conwell. Now, Perez reckons he is the man to move forward and take those opportunities.
“Of course, of course. If it’s Sebastian Fundora, he’s welcome,” the 28-year-old said, through an interpreter.
“If it’s the other champion, he’s welcome. ‘Chino’ Garcia is here for anybody at any time.”
