Stevenson loses belts on the scales before giving Conceicao a beating, writes Nigel Collins
A RECORD crowd of 10,107 at Newark’s Prudential Center was on hand to welcome native son Shakur Stevenson, who had not fought there since July 2019. The former US Olympian was scheduled to defend the super featherweight titles. of the WBO and the WBC against the Brazilian Robson Conceicao, but he could not make weight and was stripped of the belts in the balance.
The fact that his homie just delivered two titles without taking a single hit certainly didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the audience. They just wanted to see the local hero kick some ass, which he did after handing over a traded share of his bag to Conceicao. Stevenson’s 12-round unanimous decision wasn’t spectacular, but he showed his skills and ability to dominate.
Conceicao was a lightweight gold medalist at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, the same year the southpaw Stevenson won bantamweight silver. Robson’s only previous loss as a professional was to Oscar Valdez, a recent Shakur victim.
Fighting under ring lights that resembled a giant spider, both fighters took turns carefully advancing behind jabs in the opening round. They were still relatively cautious in the second, until Stevenson scored with a right to the head and a left to the body, forcing Conceicao back.
Stevenson, 25, landed a hard body shot in the third that forced Conceicao, 33, to grab and hold. Later in the round he rocked Robson with a hook. Conceicao defended himself, but his blows were not as strong as his opponent’s. When Stevenson connected, he sounded like the crack of a whip, while Conceicao’s offers were more slaps than criticism.
One can see why Conceicao did so well as an amateur, where touching an opponent is often termed a hard blow. That style seems to have followed him into the professional ranks, and on top of that, he faced a fighter considered one of the most skilled defensive specialists in the business.
More body shots and combinations to the head put Conceicao in a bind in the fourth. It was Stevenson’s most sustained attack of the fight and just before the bell, Robson collapsed, a late reaction to a vicious left hand to the body. He beat referee David Fields’ count and walked into his corner, still on his feet despite taking a prolonged beating.
Conceicao was still in survival mode early in the fifth. He had endured the worst and then had some successful moments as they traded, but he just couldn’t hit hard enough to turn things in his favor. However, the Brazilian tried to recover again in the sixth, but faded when Stevenson touched him with two left hooks.
The defiant Conceicao got another chance in the eighth and managed to land a couple of rights and twice put his head into his tormentor’s chest and knocked him into the ropes. Stevenson, perhaps annoyed at the rough stuff, knocked his opponent to the canvas, a transgression that led to referee Fields deducting a point.
By the 10th, Conceicao was throwing enough punches to survive. Perhaps frustrated that he couldn’t finish the job, Stevenson knocked him to the ground again, but received a warning instead of another penalty.
Conceicao’s legs shook in the 11th as Stevenson hit him with a pair of lefts to the head and near the end of the round he found a home for his right hand.
Due to his courage and strong chin, Conceicao was still trying to do something in the last round. He must have known it was a lost cause, but pride kept him going.
The verdict was never in doubt. Judges Lynne Carter and Steve Weisfeld scored the fight 117-109, while John Signorile had it 118-108 in favor of Stevenson. The one-sided match was far from a cliffhanger, but interestingly it was Conceicao’s playing effort that made it tolerable.
No opponent has come close to beating Stevenson in 19 professional bouts. It remains to be seen what happens now that he’s moved up to the lightweight division, where a host of compelling talent awaits him including Devin Haney, Vasiliy Lomachenko, Gervonta Davis, George Kambosos Jr. and Teofimo Lopez Jr., all hitting considerably harder. what a conceicao .
Bright-eyed Stevenson is brimming with confidence, eager to take on the best fighters in one of boxing’s toughest divisions.
“We have to fight the champion. devin and me [Haney] it could crash,” Stevenson said. “After fighting with Kambosos [in a rematch on October 16], let’s move on. I will fight Lomachenko too!”
Stevenson has already beaten several very good fighters in lower weight classes. Will five pounds make any difference?
In the main preliminary, precocious lightweight prospect Keyshawn “The Businessman” Davis, Norfolk, Virginia, had no trouble stopping Omar Tienda, Guadalupe, Mexico, at the 1-38 mark in the fifth round of a scheduled eight rounds. . Davis floored Tienda with a right hand that landed just above the ear. The Mexican got to his feet but referee Earl Brown rescued him soon after.
It was only Davis’ sixth pro fight and he handily defeated a 30-fight veteran who had won seven of his most recent fights, albeit against modest opposition. Davis didn’t really open up until the fifth round when he erupted with a barrage of quick, accurate punches that dispatched Tienda quickly.
The Top Rank promo was televised on ESPN.
THE VERDICT: Stevenson now has to prove that he is as good at lightweight as he was in the division below.
