By: Sean Crose
Michael Conlan impressed a hometown crowd in Belfast, Northern Ireland on Saturday by topping Karim Guerfi in the very first round. This was basically a story of body work as the southpaw Conlan crunched Guerfi to the body repeatedly, leading the Frenchman to stumble towards the ropes. Going low, then high, Conlan unleashed a fusillade, subsequently sending Guerfi to the mat as the referee stepped in and stopped the fight.
Conlan, a former Olympian and popular featherweight, returned to the ring for the second time on Saturday after suffering a crushing loss to Leigh Wood in what was truly a stunning bout back in March. “Every shot made him wince,” said Conlan of his brief fight with Guerfi. “I knew I was hurting him. It was only a matter of time.” As for his loss to Wood earlier in the year, Conlan indicated that he’s ready to move on.
“I can’t let that sit in my memory forever,” he said. “I need to get in and rewrite that and face either Leigh or another world champion as soon as possible.”