Former dancer Charlie Senior had to ramp up his footwork to secure a first-round boxing win at the Commonwealth Games.

The WA featherweight eventually secured a unanimous decision on Sunday over Nauru's Christon Amram, but the 20-year-old admitted he has had better bouts.

"I started a bit slow. I got the instruction ... 'move your feet, your punches are coming but your feet aren't following'," he said.

"So I sped up the workrate, sped up the pace and got the win unanimously.

"That was me on a half-arsed performance, so now these cobwebs are gone, I will be on fire."

After narrowly missing selection for the Tokyo Olympics, the 20-year-old is determined to make the most of his first Games.

"I've come here for gold and I will be leaving with it," he said.

"I've got five fights to the finals, four now ... win them all and walk off with that gold.

"That (missing Tokyo) just gave me more drive to get me to win here, get the gold.

"I was a step off and now this time I will be a step ahead, two steps ahead."

Senior said compatriot Billy Polkinghorn's opening-round knockout win on Friday had left an impression.

"I had to step up. Billy made a statement yesterday so I had to go in and follow up with that," he said.

"I did alright. It wasn't my best performance and I can always get better."

Senior was a dancer for five years before the boxing gym next to his dance studio proved the bigger lure.

Now he faces Canadian Keoma-Ali Al-Ahmadieh on Monday in the round of 16.

"Be sharper, be quicker. He's a southpaw, so it makes it a little bit different, but I go in, do my thing and I walk out with the win," he said.