Stevenson loses belts on the scales earlier than allotting a beating to Conceicao, writes Nigel Collins
A RECORD crowd of 10,107 at Newark’s Prudential Centre was available to welcome house native son Shakur Stevenson who hadn’t fought there since July 2019. The former U.S. Olympian was scheduled to defend the WBO and WBC super-featherweight titles against Brazil’s Robson Conceicao, however failed to make weight and was stripped of the belts on the scales.
The indisputable fact that their homie had simply surrendered two titles with out throwing a punch definitely didn’t dampen the viewers’s enthusiasm. They simply wished to see the native hero kick some ass, which he did after forfeiting a negotiated portion of his purse to Conceicao. Stevenson’s 12-round unanimous determination wasn’t spectacular however it showcased his expertise and skill to dominate.
Conceicao was the lightweight gold medalist on the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, the identical 12 months the left-handed Stevenson received bantamweight silver. Robson’s solely prior loss as a professional was to Oscar Valdez, a latest Shakur sufferer.
Fighting below ring lights that appeared like an enormous spider, each boxers took turns advancing rigorously behind pawing jabs within the opening spherical. They had been nonetheless comparatively cautious within the second, till Stevenson scored with a proper to the pinnacle and a left to the physique, forcing Conceicao to again off.
Stevenson, 25, landed a tough physique shot within the third that compelled the 33-year-old Conceicao to seize and maintain. Later within the spherical he jarred Robson with an uppercut. Conceicao fought again however his punches had been nowhere close to as sharp as his adversary’s. When Stevenson related it seemed like crack of a bullwhip, whereas Conceicao’s choices had been extra slap than flak.
One can see why Conceicao did so properly as an newbie the place touching an opponents is usually scored the identical as stiff punch. That fashion appears to have adopted him into the professionals ranks, and on high of that he was up against a boxer thought of one of many slickest defensive specialists within the enterprise.
More physique blows and combos to the pinnacle had Conceicao in hassle within the fourth. It was Stevenson’s most sustained assault of the struggle and simply earlier than the bell Robson collapsed, a delayed response to a malicious left to physique. He beat referee David Fields’ rely and walked to his nook, nonetheless standing regardless of taking a chronic pummeling.
Conceicao was nonetheless in survival mode early within the fifth. He’d endured the worst after which had just a few second of success as they exchanged, however he simply couldn’t punch exhausting sufficient to flip issues his method. Nonetheless, the Brazilian tried to rally once more within the sixth however pale when Stevenson tagged him with two left hooks.
The defiant Conceicao had one more go within the eighth and managed to land a few rights and twice caught his head in his tormentor’s chest and bulled him into the ropes. Stevenson, maybe miffed by the tough stuff, hip rolled his antagonist to the canvas, a transgression that prompted referee Fields to deduct some extent.
By the tenth Conceicao was throwing simply sufficient punches to survive. Perhaps pissed off he couldn’t end the job Stevenson flipped him to the ground once more however acquired a warning quite than one other penalty.
Conceicao legs wobbled within the eleventh when Stevenson strafed him with a pair of lefts to the pinnacle and close to the tip of the spherical discovered a house for his proper hand.
Due to his braveness and sturdy chin, Conceicao was nonetheless attempting to get one thing going within the final spherical. He will need to have recognized it was a misplaced trigger however delight saved him going.
The verdict was by no means unsure. Judges Lynne Carter and Steve Weisfeld scored the bout 117-109, whereas John Signorile had it 118-108 all in Stevenson’s favor. The one-sided match was removed from a thriller however oddly sufficient it was Conceicao’s recreation effort that made it tolerable.
No opponent has come shut to beating Stevenson in 19 professional bouts. It stays to be seen what occurs now he’s moved up to the lightweight division, the place an array of compelling expertise similar to Devin Haney, Vasiliy Lomachenko, Gervonta Davis, George Kambosos Jnr and Teofimo Lopez Jnr await—and so they all punch significantly more durable than Conceicao.
The bright-eyed Stevenson is brimming with confidence, keen to tackle the very best fighters in one in all boxing’s hardest divisions.
“We gotta fight the champ. Me and Devin [Haney] could lock in,” Stevenson mentioned. “After he fights Kambosos [in a rematch on October 16], let’s get it on. I’ll fight Lomachenko, too!”
Stevenson has already overwhelmed a variety of superb fighters in decrease weight courses. Will 5 kilos make any distinction?
In the chief preliminary precocious lightweight prospect Keyshawn “The Businessman” Davis, Norfolk, Virginia, had no issues stopping Omar Tienda, Guadalupe, Mexico, on the 1-38 mark of the fifth spherical of a scheduled eight rounder. Davis knocked down Tienda with a proper that landed simply above the ear. The Mexican regained his toes however referee Earl Brown rescued him quickly afterward.
It was solely Davis’s sixth professional struggle and he handily defeated a 30-fight veteran who had received seven of his most up-to-date bouts, albeit against modest opposition. Davis didn’t actually open up till the fifth spherical when he erupted with a fusillade of fast, correct punches that dispatched Tienda posthaste.
The Top Rank promotion was televised by ESPN.
THE VERDICT: Stevenson now has to show he’s pretty much as good at lightweight as he was within the division beneath.
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