Robson Conceicao vs O’Shaquie Foster – A Tale of Two Fights
By James Blears
Play it again Sam, as time goes by, with Robson Conceicao who won the WBC super-featherweight Green and Gold Belt from O’Shaquie Foster via a split decision, now fighting a chile-hot saucy re-match with him, at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.
Last time controversy swirled, boiled up, steamed, percolated, and then simmered in the court-cauldron of opinion about this one…and more to the point…who won it! No doubt about the result in the mindsets of the opposing corners and camps, but plenty of doubting Thomas pundits elsewhere. So, this time, no stone will be left unturned.
Promoter Bob Arum crystalized the upcoming November 2nd second helping anticipation, crustily saying: ‘’Conceicao and Foster are both eager to prove themselves. This rematch is about setting things straight. Both want to show who is the better man, with the winner positioning himself for a chance of a unification fight.’’
Robson and O’Shaquie have radically different views and opinions about what transpired first time around and the subsequent outcome.
Foster, who on the night, took quite some time to perspire, was ‘’Ice Water’’ slick and assured, yet strictly economical with his punch output. Looking back, he insists: ‘’I didn’t get touched. It was a shutout. I thought it was an easy fight. I want a rematch.’’
Robson begs to differ. He plainly states: ‘’I do think that I won the fight. He didn’t come to fight. He was running and running.’’
The Judges’ scores left the coffee table portrait incomplete, with jigsaw puzzle pieces missing, as their perceptions differed of how the disparate segments fitted together. The sum of the parts, didn’t equal the whole. Two saw Robson winning by 116-112 and 115-113. While the other saw it as a 116-112 victory for Foster. Seeing is believing… but so is interpretation of what you see with your very own eyes.
Foster threw 435 punches landing 109. Robson threw 698 punches and landed 76. O’Shaquie landed thirty- three more punches. He landed 34 percent of his power punches. Conceicao impacted 11 percent.
Vintage irritation viz and via the stats, emanating from veteran old timer Bob Arum, whose bile beads rose just a tad, when he was probed if not goaded on this rather sore point. Not without reason, he countered, unhesitatingly and un-contentedly contending: ‘’It’s very, very important that the public knows that CompuBox is not always in the Arena. You can only get an approximation from Television. If a punch lands, what kind of effect does it have? On TV you are only seeing the fight from one angle.’’
‘’You have to be there to see it. The Judges are!’’
This time around we’re going to see a very markedly different fight. In the first one, O’Shaquie was firmly convinced he was coasting and breezing it, controlling the rather slow pedestrian paced action with ease. Trouble is, that by making it look effortless, it can give the wrong impression that you’re simply not trying.
Robson who took three tries to win his Olympic Gold Medal and four attempts to become a world champion in the pro sphere, is the consummate tryer. He gets gold stars for sheer effort. Top of the class, or as Cagney in a bile fuelled Cody code finale snarled: ‘’Top of the World Ma!’’
Robson insists; ‘’On November 2nd, I’ll step into the ring with the same determination and hunger, that’s brought me here and got me this far. I respect O’Shaquie Foster, but I will show him why I’m the true champion.’’
While Robson is determined to secure justification, O’Shaquie is hell- bent on vindication. He smoulders; ‘’I can’t wait for November 2nd. I’m ready to go out there and make a statement. That bad decision woke up something in me and now all I can think about is to get back. Now the focus is to become a two-time champion.’’
If Foster is to achieve the phoenix phenomenon, he must plot, compass and chart his skyward flightpath ascent, by taking control and flying manually. Not relying on cruise control or still less on automatic pilot. Foster needs to dig deeper, delving the cavernous recesses he explored and mined from his mind, during the blazing sunset epic against fearsome Eduardo ‘’Rocky’’ Hernandez, pulling victory out of the red- hot embers of a molten orange globe.
He must be seen to be working his butt off, rather than taking the easy route at a stroll. Attaining and maintaining a boxing throne, isn’t a divine, hereditary right, like the House of Windsor Buckingham Palace version, with the damning observation about Edward V111, written in a Letter from America by Alistair Cooke, who caustically and damningly observed; ‘’He was at his best, when the going was easiest.’’
In the comedy film Airplane, young Joey who is allowed into the cockpit, is convinced that he recognizes co-pilot Roger Murdock, as Kareem Abdul Jabbar and needles him by declaring: ‘’I Think you’re great, but my dad says you don’t work hard enough and you don’t really try.’’ To which Roger/Kareem testily retorts:
‘’The hell I don’t! LISTEN KID. I’ve been hearing that crap, ever since I was a UCLA. I’m out there, busting my buns every night. Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes!!!’’
Sheer work ethic and shoulder to the wheel effort, fuelled by elbow grease has to match the God given gift of talent, because as we’re already seen the two can be perceived and judged quite differently. An intense battle of wills awaits.
‘’Here’s looking at you Kid!’’
Tale of the Tape
ROBSON “O Brabo” CONCEIÇÃO (Brazil)
WBC Super Featherweight World Champion
Age: 36
DOB: October 25, 1988
Residence, birthplace: Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Record: 19-2-1, 1 NC, 9 KOs
Total rounds: 148
World championship fights: 1-2-1, 0 KOs
Height: 5’10” – 178cm
Reach: 70” – 178cm
Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Luiz Fernando Menezes
Trainer: Luiz Carlos Dórea
O’SHAQUIE “Ice Water” FOSTER (USA)
WBC #1 Super Featherweight
Former WBC Super Featherweight World Champion
Age: 31
DOB: September 17, 1993
Residence: Houston, Texas
Birthplace: Orange, Texas
Record: 22-3, 12 KOs
Total rounds: 158 / World championship fights: 3-1, 1 KO
Height: 5’6” – 168cm
Reach: 71.5” – 181 cm
Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Keith Mills
Trainer: Bobby Benton
WBC Top 10 Super-featherweight Champions
1. Julio Cesar Chavez (Mexico)
2. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (US)
3. Alexis Arguello (Nicaragua)
4. Hector Camacho (P. Rico)
5. Azumah Nelson (Ghana)
6. Gabriel Elorde (Phil)
7. Erik Morales (Mexico)
8. Marco Antonio Barrera (Mexico)
9. Ricardo Arredondo (Mexico)
10. James Leija (US)