NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 21: Shakur Stevenson (L) and Robson Conceição (R) face off during the press conference ahead of their WBC and WBO junior lightweight championship fight at the Prudential Center on September 21, 2022 in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)
Shakur Stevenson says he doesn’t feel any pressure ahead of his first home title defense since becoming champion.
The 25-year-old will defend his RING junior lightweight championship against Robson Conceição this Friday at the Prudential Center in what will be his first time headlining the home of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils since his knockout at the third round over Alberto Guevara in 2019. Returning to his hometown as champion means more local accolades, like the day being declared Shakur Stevenson Day in Newark and receiving a plaque from his alma mater Quitman Street School Elementary, but he says nothing that has shaken your focus. .
“I’m really not too focused on pressure. I’m really focused on working Friday night. I am ready to fight at the end of the day. All I can think about is fighting, performing and that’s all I have on my mind right now,” Stevenson (18-0, 9 KOs), who also holds the WBC and WBO 130-pound titles, told the conference. press release on Wednesday.
Stevenson says he’s coming off his best training camp as a pro, where he even squared off with undefeated heavyweight prospect and Top Rank stablemate Jared Anderson in Houston, Texas.
Conceição (17-1, 8 KOs) should have no problem motivating himself for this opportunity. The 33-year-old from Salvador, Brazil will get a second shot at a world title after his controversial decision loss to Oscar Valdez a year ago. He rebounded strongly from that performance to overtake previously undefeated Xavier Martinez and get into this position.
“I am very motivated, I have trained all my life for this moment. The world could see that I was better than Oscar Valdez. I should have won like this [Stevenson] It’s not really defending two titles because one should have been mine. I’m just a champion without the crown and I’m ready for Friday night,” said Conceição.
Stevenson says he was unimpressed with Conceição’s claims, stating that he had been far more decisive in his unanimous decision victory over Valdez to unify two of the 130-pound titles.
“He’s a good fighter,” Stevenson said of Conceição, “but I think he lost to Valdez. If you left it in the hands of the judges, you lost. I fought Valdez and gave him a beating. I have no excuses. He’s talking about having COVID or something before his last fight. All he hears are excuses. I am ready to fight. Tell him to have no excuses on Friday night. I’m ready to beat him up.”
Conceição, who won lightweight gold at the 2016 Olympics, where Stevenson won bantamweight silver, insists that Stevenson back up his talk on fight night.
“Shakur is someone I really respect. He is a great athlete. I can tell he is young, probably too excited and talks too much. This coming Friday, there will only be one champion, and that champion is me,” Conceição said.
