WBC Special Preview: Foster vs Conceicao
By James Blears
O’Shaquie “Ice Water” Foster (22-2, 12 KO) defends his WBC super-featherweight world championship to challenger Robson “O Brabo” Conceicao (18-2, 9 KO) on Saturday, July 6, 2024 at the Prudential Center in Newark.
As a thrilling main undercard fight on the Shakur Stevenson vs Artem Harutyuyan event, this Saturday in New Jersey, O’Shaquie Foster defends his WBC super-featherweight crown for the third time, on this occasion against Brazilian boxer Robson Conceicao.
Foster is grimly determined to stave off Robson, who is trying for the fourth time to win a world title, aged 35, it’s likely to be his last opportunity. He’s well aware of that, so it’s all or nothing!
Foster, now aged 30, won green and gold against lanky Mexican Rey Vargas 16 months ago, who had long reigned as WBC super-bantamweight champion and then won the featherweight title, but wasn’t physically robust enough with the power pep at this poundage to go one division higher and excel.
Texan Foster’s first title defence in October 2023 proved an ordeal under, when he travelled to sun-kissed Cancun to defend against formidable and fearsome hitting Eduardo ‘’Rocky’’ Hernandez.
During a sizzling boxing tropical hurricane, Rocky dominated three quarters of the fight, throwing and landing an extraordinary cascade of hell for leather from all angles, never letting up or backing off and piercing the normally sound defence of the slender, svelte champion time and again. It was unrelenting, it was thrilling, and it wowed the crowd, who were on the edge of their seats, brewing in a cauldron of all action.
Way behind on points, the champion started to rally back more effectively from round seven onwards. But, he was still really up against it and a rocky mountain of Everest proportions still loomed and remained to be climbed.
By round 10, Rocky, who’d expended so much energy to be a country mile ahead, was beginning to tire, so Foster, who as his nickname of Ice Water suggests, kept his cool and finally started systematically picking him off.
Then came the 11th round, a Round of the Year contender. Foster nailed Rocky with a downward sweeping right hand and the challenger was in a desperate state, as Foster pummelled him from pillar to post.
But then Rocky bit down on his mouthguard, re-grouped and launched a terrific offensive, backing Foster on to the ropes. It was thrilling high-octane drama of the highest order. Foster landed a couple of flush right uppercuts, but Rocky kept surging on and on.
During the momentous minute of respite, Rocky’s corner pleaded with him to move and evade during the final long three minutes, bolstered and reinforced by his still considerable and commanding lead. The ring warrior he is and will always be, he would have none of it. He only knows and wants to fight one way. All -out attack.
Rocky still hadn’t fully shaken off the effects or totally recovered from that previous titanic three minutes blitz and at the start of the twelfth, he walked into a wicked right which dropped him. By this time his nose was gushing blood. He was badly cut over the right eye and staggering. What a bitter nail biter!
Another right felled him and Foster swiftly moved in battering him non- stop. Defenceless Rocky was being systematically walloped by Foster, and Referee Hector Afu stepped in to save him, at two minutes thirty- eight seconds. So agonizingly near, but yet so palpably far, on that Rocky- road. And for Foster, a magnificent and gutsy last gasp win. He had reached and stepped back from the doorbell located on the gates of hell. He come through the other side of his baptism of fire- water and pulled this astonishing victory out of the molten furnace. But how much has this taken out of him?
His next defence was a lack lustre performance against Abraham Nova at Madison Square Garden and it wasn’t overly impressive. Foster blamed his dullness and lethargy on weight problems. He did just enough to win a SD.
He dropped ‘’Yellow Beard’’ with an exquisite left hook to the head, 20 seconds from the final bell, and in doing so, pulled off another Houdini type escape act. Catlike, he’s now used up two of his proverbial nine lives… or more?
Conceicao is a tall, lean, astute and able boxer. He possesses a long, snaking, smart and smarting left jab. His right hand carries venom and his boxing skills are creditable, but although he has quick hands, he tends to move a tad slowly around the ring, sometimes showing a lack of urgency. He often holds his guard low and has the irritating habit of strolling around the ring as if he’s on a Sunday afternoon ramble. It’s puzzling?
He won Gold in the lightweight category at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, becoming the first Brazilian to ever do so, even nibbling his medal on the podium, and the same was expected when he turned pro the very same year.
His first tilt at glory was in a foray against WBC super-featherweight champ Oscar Valdez. The much taller Conceicao started well, intelligently using his jab and following up with snapping combinations. As usual it didn’t take Oscar’s face very long to mark up and a welt developed on the bridge of his nose.
Conceicao was ahead after six rounds. But then he seemed to ease up a smidgeon and Oscar started to close the distance, landing sinking body shots and his trademark left hooks to the head.
Oscar was firing on all cylinders, hungry and utterly determined to retain his Green and Gold Belt and the tide, slowly but surely turned. The Brazilian’s retaliatory counters became fewer and far between and Oscar caught up and surpassed him on the scorecards, winning a UD.
The Brazilian was deducted one point in the ninth. In a clinch he’d lightly tapped Oscar on the back of the head a couple of times. Referee Tony Zaino halted the action and then took punitive action for the rabbit punches.
Conceicao’s next chance came against the supremely skilled Shakur Stevenson on Shakur’ home turf of none other than the Prudential Center Newark, New Jersey. It wasn’t even close.
Shakur landed a career high of 199 punches, dominating from start to finish. One second from the end of the fourth, he dropped the Brazilian with a short numbing left hook to the ribs. Conceicao, sporting applauded Shakur when the verdict of 117-108 and 118-108 X two was announced.
Then he challenged Emanuel Navarrete for the WBO super-featherweight strap. Emanuel dropped him with a right to the temple in the fourth and a crunching right to the body in the seventh. Yet, Conceicao showed steely character and real mettle in fighting back, to gain a MD. Crucially he won the final round on all three Judges’ scorecards.
Now the fourth try and this time against Foster. Conceicao stands a lofty five feet ten inches tall and has a seventy inches reach. Foster is bit shorter at five feet eight and a half inches tall. But has a seventy-two inches reach.
Foster has already proved his dig deep attributes and true grit, when the chips were down. Conceicao must take his willpower to win, to another level. Teddy Roosevelt who was the 26 President of the United States, said: ‘’Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.’’ He also stated: ‘’We are the future with our past and our present as guarantors.’’
On July 6th the future beckons!
Tale of the Tape
O’Shaquie “Ice Water” Foster
WBC Super Featherweight World Champion, 3rd Title Defence
Age: 30
DOB: September 17, 1993
Residence: Houston, Texas
Birthplace: Orange, Texas
Record: 22-2, 12 KOs
Total rounds: 146
World championship fights: 3-0, 1 KO
Height: 5’6” – 168cm
Reach: 71.5” – 181 cm
Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Keith Mills
Trainer: Bobby Benton
Robson “O Brabo” Conceicao
Ranked WBC No. 1 at Super Featherweight
Age: 35
DOB: October 25, 1988
Residence, birthplace: Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Record: 18-2-1, 1 NC, 9 KOs
Total rounds: 136
World championship fights: 0-2-1
Height: 5’10” – 178cm
Reach: 70” – 178cm
Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Luiz Fernando Menezes
Trainer: Luiz Carlos Dórea
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)
Betting Odds
Foster: 40/85
Conceicao: 18/1
Draw: 12/5
Prediction
Tim RicksonBBN Editor: Conceicao is someone who I admire and respect, and after losing three other world title attempts, he is going to be up for this more than any of the other challenges. I believe he has a very good chance of upsetting the odds.
However, after all the adversity he has faced in his other world title defences and coming through victorious, I believe Foster retains his green and gold belt no matter what Robson is able to throw at him.
Foster to win a close match on points.