Northampton's Kieron Conway ends year on a high with Commonwealth title victory

The 28-year-old Team Shoe-Box fighter saw off fellow Englishman Ryan Kelly at the bp pulse LIVE Arena in Birmingham on Saturday night, but he was made to sweat as he won by split decision.

Judges Lee Every (116-112) and Kevin Parker (115-113) saw Conway as a clear winner, but Mark Lyson (114-115) felt Kelly had edged a hard-fought contest.

The win is the 22nd of Conway's professional career, and sees him end what has been a frustrating 2024 on a high, but his trainer and father, James Conway, revealed his fighter battled through the pain barrier to even step into the ring at the weekend.

"It was a very hard fight, and we knew it was going to be," said Conway Snr.

"Kieron picked up three injuries in the past five weeks, and that really put us back in training.

"I was trying to get him to pull out for the past two weeks, but he wasn’t having any of that.

"I am very proud he managed to find a way to win."

Conway's title win put a smile on the Team Shoe-Box camp's faces after another of the Harlestone Road gym's fighters, Michael Stephenson, failed in his attempt to become the English light heavyweight champion.

Stephenson, who hails from Bedford but has trained out of Northampton for several years, put up a spirited performance before losing to reigning champion Troy Jones by unanimous decision.

All three judges had Jones as the clear winner, with Victor Loughlin scoring 97-93 and Kevin Parker and Lee Every both scoring 98-91 in the champion's favour.

The defeat was the third of Stephenson's 12-fight professional career to date, and the second in his past three fights at light heavyweight.

Trainer Conway was proud of Stephenson's efforts, but revealed the 31-year-old may now drop down a weight division in future.

"Mike did himself proud," said Conway. "He's been taking his boxing seriously since been given the opportunity.

"He has now realised he’s likely at the wrong weight category, and will return in the new year looking to campaign at super middleweight."