By: Sean Crose
Earlier today, WBO and WBC junior lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson, who will face Robson Conceicao tomorrow night in Newark, New Jersey, dropped weight by 1.6 pounds. They gave him two hours to get it right on the scale. He was not upset and chose to post the following message on social media: “I gave it my all. I’ve been pro my whole career and gained weight, but my body can’t do 130 anymore. My health has to come first. I will go up to 135 in my next fight.”
With that in mind, the little-known 17-1 Conceicao, if he chooses to have the match go ahead as planned, still has a chance to win the WBO and WBC belts tomorrow night at the Prudential Center. He just has to beat Stevenson, which is clearly no easy task. For Stevenson, a Newark product now fighting out of Houston, he is widely regarded as one of the best ringside practitioners in the game today. As of this moment, however, the undefeated 18-0 Stevenson is also a man without a title.
“It’s showtime,” Stevenson posted later that day. “I’m locked up no matter if we see each other soon”
