QUINCY, Mass. (May 1, 2024) – Massachusetts heavyweight Quintin Sumpter (7-2, 4 KOs) embraces the spoiler’s role, and he will hit the road once again on June 15th to challenge undefeated Sonny “The Bronco” Conto (12-0, 9 KOs) at the famed Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
“Quintin is a VERY underrated heavyweight in the Northeast,” his promoter (Granite Chin) Chris Traietti remarked. ”He took on an undefeated Tim Hatfield in his home state and beat him convincingly. He then goes and takes on another undefeated heavyweight, Sean Bey, and drops him and in the eyes of many that saw it should have received the decision. Quintin is a very tough, athletic guy who comes to fight. Conto and his team are about to have their hands full come June 15. I have all the confidence that Quintin is leaving Atlantic City victorious and fighting on a national network by the end of this year.”
The 35-year-old Sumpter, a former football player fighting out of Pittsfield (MA), upset then 3-0 Hatfield in his Rhode Island backyard on March 26, 2022, by way of a four-round majority decision, in which he won all four rounds on two of the judges’ scorecards, while the other questionably scored the fight, 38-38.
Sumpter almost spoiled another evening last August at Polar Park in Worcester (MA) when he took on 7-0 Bey in an eight-round bout. Bey won a controversial majority decision by scores of 76-74 twice and 75-75, which resulted in a chorus of boos from the partisan crowd, because Sumpter floored Bey, who was also penalized a point for pushing Sumpter.
Now, Sumpter is preparing to face a hyped Philly fighter, undefeated Conto, close to his Philadelphia home. Conto has been called a modern-day Rocky Balboa because both are heavyweights from Philadelphia who are Italian-American.
“I like being a spoiler,” Sumpter said. “I’ll fight anybody, anytime, and anyplace even if it’s in his backyard. That’s my mentality going into this fight, too. I don’t know much about him (Conto) other than he’s 12-0 with big backers behind him. He fought a couple of guys who were on the same promotion (Granite Chin) as I am, (Mike) Marshall and (Justin) Rolfe, so I have a feel for what he (Conto) brings.
“I’ll box him or brawl with him, whatever he wants. I’m going to pick him apart . A lot of undefeated fighters feel that they will bully their opponent, but I’m going to pick him apart. I’m fighting him in his backyard, and I like nothing more than silencing a crowd. What I do know is that he’s not going to be able to bully me.”
The 6’ 4” Conto, 28, was a solid amateur fighter who was runner-up in the 2018 National Golden Gloves Tournament. What is missing on his pro resume, though, is fighting more than six rounds and his fight with Sumpter is scheduled for eight rounds.
“I’ll go slow at the start and pick up the pace as the rounds go by,” Sumpter added. “Hopefully, him 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.”