South Philly’s Sonny Conto hears the Rocky comparisons, but ‘nothing is fictional’ about this fighter

For South Philadelphia native Sonny Conto, the comparisons to Rocky Balboa come naturally.

Conto is an Italian American heavyweight boxer who hails from 9th and Porter Streets. In today’s age of advanced training and high-tech boxing studios, Conto prefers to work at the Marian Anderson Recreation Center — a no-frills gym that houses a handful of punching bags, rusty weights, and cardio equipment, and one old-school boxing ring. Conto’s background and training habits mimic some of those seen in the Rocky movie series.

“This is how we work,” says Quilly Hughes, Conto’s assistant trainer. “[If] you go to those pretty gyms, you don’t learn nothing there. We don’t want to look cute. We want to be gritty and we want to win.”

While Conto is compared to Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky because of their similar heritage and backgrounds, the self-proclaimed “Real-life Rocky” insists “nothing is fictional” about his game.

To Hughes’ point, Conto boasts a perfect professional record — 12-0, nine knockouts. He is set to return to the ring on Saturday when he headlines a fight card against Quintin Sumpter at the famed Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Sumpter (7-2, four KOs) has won two of his last three bouts, including his most recent decision against Zach Calmus on March 3. Conto will fight for the first time since a six-round decision over Detrailous Webster in November at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

Saturday will mark the first time in Conto’s career that he will participate in a fight that is scheduled for eight rounds.

In an effort to assure Conto’s cardio levels are ready for what could be the longest fight of his career, Hughes and Conto’s father and head trainer, Frank Conto, have been putting the fighter through grueling two-a-day workout sessions. Some of his workouts have included up to 24 rounds of three-minute circuit training and boxing.

“Honestly, I don’t see it going eight rounds,” Sonny Conto said. “But more rounds means more money, so I’m happy. I’m training right now — 10 rounds in the ring, 24 rounds in the gym. Sometimes I’m doing longer, six-minute rounds. I wouldn’t care if it’s 15 rounds. I’m focused. I don’t think anybody can beat me.”

Aside from his uptick in rounds, Conto has taken a hard turn with his diet after cutting out all sugar and processed foods. Conto estimates he’s down about 15 pounds since his last fight. While he misses his ice cream and cookies, Conto appears as shredded as he has been since 2021.

“You’ve got to truly believe in it,” he said. “I know I’m putting in the work and this guy probably isn’t working as hard as me. Getting up at 5:30 a.m., not skipping meals, I’m crossing every box. I have to literally do it perfectly to have that spectacular night. It all comes down to one night.

“The last fight ... I had no abs. I was flabby, about 232 pounds. I was loose. Now, I’m cut. I’m toned. I’m ready to destroy this guy.”

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During a promotional event for the fight last month, the 35-year-old Sumpter said: “I’ll go slow at the start and pick up the pace as the rounds go by. Hopefully, [Conto’s] not going eight rounds before will play a part in this fight. Upsetting him will give me more opportunities and bigger fights. I’m going in with bad intentions.”

To this point of his career, Conto’s claim to fame has been his renowned power that is rooted in his vicious right hand. Before he made his pro debut in February 2019, Conto posted a 40-2 record as an amateur heavyweight and was a two-time Pennsylvania Golden Gloves champion. As his career progresses, Conto, 28, is focusing more on his technique and assuring his footwork is perfectly aligned with how he wants to attack his opponent.

The key to victory, according to Hughes, will be Conto’s ability to set up his jab. The 6-foot-4 Conto, a former pitcher at Rowan University, is expected to have a have noticeable advantage in reach over the 6-foot Sumpter.

“Getting the jab going early is a big point of emphasis, and him just being him,” Hughes said. “If Sonny can just be who he is, this fight is not going to last no time. He’s got all the tools to be a world champion. He’s got power, he’s got speed, he’s got defense. He throws a lot of punches. He’s got fast feet, he’s got fast hands.

“I appreciate his tenacity and his willingness to want to win. He has a spirit in him where his opponent has to kill him to beat him. He’s not going to lay down. He’s not going to not train. Because in his mind, we always talk about how he has to do this for his kids. So he is hungry for his kids, he’s hungry for his family and where he comes from.”

Conto’s bout falls on Father’s Day weekend. He has gained a new perspective over the last few years thanks to his two sons, Sonny Jr., 3, and Mateo, 7 months.

“My end goal is, when it’s time for my kids to get their driver’s license, I want to be able to tell them, ‘Choose any car you want,’ ” Conto said. “It’s for them to have the choice that you don’t have to go to work because I grind my whole life for them. That’s my motivation. I want to give them a good life. I don’t come from a rich family. Everything, I’ve gotten on my own. I’ve had to fight for it, literally.”

In professional boxing, some perfect records can come attached to an asterisk. Some boxers will prefer to beat up on less-talented competition while they stack up victories. However, Conto noticeably has not fought an opponent with a losing record since his third pro fight in June 2019.

Conto has gained celebrity fans along the way. In November 2021, when he headlined and sold out the first boxing card at LIVE! Casino and Hotel, Eagles players Darius Slay, Dallas Goedert, and Avonte Maddox were at ringside to support Conto as he stopped Joel Caudle in the third round. Conto has trained occasionally with Goedert during the NFL offseason.

“There’s a whole bunch of different instances why boxing helps me as a football player,” Goedert told The Inquirer last year. “Obviously throwing a stiff-arm, but the cardio and mindset of a boxer, that’s the most intriguing part. It’s endless rounds. … I think learning their mindset and what makes them so hungry to be able to do it without a team is super difficult.”

Conto added: “I always truly believe that Philly supports Philly. Whether it’s Slay, Goedert, Maddox, or even [Jaron] ‘Boots’ Ennis. We’re all rooting for each other because Philly is a place where you work hard for every single little thing in life.”

As Conto’s career progresses, two of his goals are to increase the number of rounds for each bout and to fight more well-known competition. Through it all, he promises to remember his South Philly roots and Italian heritage. Some might view it as a nod to the fictional Rocky.

For Conto, he has blinders on as he builds his own legacy.

“I’m so proud of where I come from,” he said. “The last great heavyweight to come out of Philly was [Joe] Frazier [although former champ Tim Witherspoon was no slouch]. He set the tone. I’m trying to make history repeat itself.

“… A lot of Philly kids get wrapped up in the streets. I just try to lead by example, show them that if I can make it, you can, too. I appreciate helping people. I get more satisfaction out of that than anything. I’m a giver. It comes back tenfold. I try to live by that.”