By Keith Idec
O’SHAQUIE Foster is convinced he wouldn’t have received this opportunity to avenge his loss to Robson Conceicao if not for the WBC.
It wasn’t, according to Foster, until the Mexico City-based sanctioning organization ordered their immediate rematch that Conceicao expressed legitimate interest in it. Conceicao defeated Foster by split decision in their 12-round, 130-pound championship match on July 6 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Foster feels Conceicao deserved to win two rounds on the Shakur Stevenson-Artem Harutyunyan undercard. The former WBC super featherweight champion contended during an interview with Boxing News that two judges failed to credit him for his effective defence during a fight in which Conceicao connected on only 11 per cent of his punches overall, per CompuBox’s unofficial statistics (76-of-701).
Judges Tony Lundy (116-112) and Paul Wallace (115-113) scored Conceicao the winner of eight and seven rounds, respectively. Judge Ron McNair scored it 116-112 for Foster, whose 12-fight winning streak ended.
Foster (22-3, 12 KOs), of Orange, Texas, is nonetheless thankful that he can regain that title from Brazil’s Conceicao (19-2-1, 9 KOs) by winning a 12-round main event ESPN will televise Saturday night from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York (9:50 p.m. GMT in the UK; 5:50 p.m. ET in the United States).
“They tried to run from the rematch at first,” Foster said. “The WBC had to order it. I know for sure they wouldn’t have [done it]. They was talking crazy. They felt like they won easy, you know, stuff like that.”
There wasn’t a rematch clause in Foster’s contract for what was an optional defence of his title almost four months ago. Conceicao acknowledged during a separate interview with Boxing News that he didn’t initially think a rematch was necessary.
It wasn’t until Conceicao noticed the public’s split opinion of the official result that he realized a second Foster fight might be necessary.
“At first, no, I wasn’t really expecting the necessity of a rematch,” Conceicao said, according to his interpreter. “But then, I started seeing all the buzz around it and all the commentaries. Then, yes, I was sure that it was gonna happen. I just want people to know I’m ready and I’m waiting for that rematch.
“I would have accepted a rematch regardless of having to be forced, whether there was an obligation to do it or not. The minute we heard he wanted a rematch, we told them right away and proposed that it be done for September 27th [in The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York]. He was the one who said that he didn’t want that date, so I guess that answers your question. I would do it regardless.”
