Undefeated heavyweight boxer and Philly native Sonny Conto has title dreams

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Undefeated with nine knockouts under his belt, professional heavyweight boxer Sonny Conto is training for his next match this summer, chasing win number 12.

"When I step in the ring, personally I want to give everyone who brought tickets what they were looking for and that's knockouts," said Conto.

Growing up on 9th and Porter streets, the South Philly native's dad introduced him to boxing as a toddler. But it was at the age of 10 when he came home from school and told his mom he was ready to jump in the ring.

"She was like, 'What?' I was like, 'Yeah.' So she takes me down to 17th and Fitzwater in South Philadelphia and that's where I began starting to box," shares Conto.

Conto says from a young age he knew he wanted to be a professional athlete. He just wasn't sure if it would be as a baseball player or in the ring. Now that he's reached this stage, he's got his eyes set on a bigger boxing title.

"I wanna be the next heavyweight champion in Philadelphia. The last one to do it was Joe Frazier. I believe I have the tools and skills to do it. Plus, I have the support of the city of Philadelphia," he says.

Weighing in at 6 foot, 5 inches, 230 lbs, Conto remembers in 2018, as an amateur fighter, when his career really started to take off.

"Back in the National Golden Gloves, I was knocking guys out with headgear on and people were wondering like, 'Who is this guy? Where did he come from?'"

Who is "he?" A goofy, spaghetti-loving Italian, often training to Michael Jackson, and a proud dad, making his dreams come true.

"My dream would be to have a world title fight at the Linc," says Conto, "and sell the Linc out."

From fighting in the streets of Philadelphia to now fighting for a heavyweight title, Conto says he's just getting started. He hopes his name will go down as one of the best in the world to ever box.