O’Shaquie Foster vs Robson Conceicao II Tale of the Tape Undercard & Breakdown

When the opinion that the judges got it wrong becomes so overwhelming it almost becomes an objective fact, running it back becomes a necessity. That’s what we have this Saturday, an attempt at a correction of what is widely regarded as one of the worst decisions of the current era. Be it corruption or or just plain ol’ wrongness to blame can be debated amongst dissenters of the previous adjudication, but Hanlan’s razor, “Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by ineptitude.” sits heavily on the mind when thinking about the split-decision that was passed down in July of this year. 

The reader will notice the use of words such as ”opinion”, “almost”, and “widely regarded”. This is due to the fact that not everyone agrees that it was the wrong decision at all, and some saw what the judges likely saw, one man simply out-working the other. The fact of the matter is that on Saturday, O’Shaquie Foster is the challenger for the WBC super featherweight title against current champion, Robson Conceicao. It would be easy for some to believe that Foster was so successful on the back foot, and out-boxed Conceicao so handily the first time, and that this fight takes place in tribal lands of New York state instead of New Jersey, that this bout will go the same way only with a more amicable outcome, but it may not be so simple. 

Robson Conceicao was a decorated and respected amateur internationally, and even became the first Brazilian in history to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. His style was heavily influenced by the Cuban coaches imported to his region of Brazil, making him defensively illusive, yet aggressive and well rounded on offense. This style translated well when he became pro in 2016, and he only had 16 bouts before he was able to challenge for a world title against Oscar Valdez in 2021. This fight did not go his way but did prove that he belonged at the top of the division where he has remained since. Age and lack of appreciation from judges has changed his style as of late, and he is now more of an effortful fighter that is flatter of foot overall. This has resulted in him taking a bit more damage than he used to, but also is likely what won him the title the first time he met Foster. 

O’Shaquie Foster, of Orange, TX, spent barely any time as an amateur in comparison to Conceicao and became professional at 19 years old. Learning on the job against stiff competition resulted in a couple early losses but he also became a very well rounded fighter overall. Foster has defensive acumen to be sure, but on offense he is typically aggressive enough, capable of switching stances, and knows how to use his long reach, relative to his height as well as the weight class, to his advantage. While he may not dominate every round, should he need to bite down and charge forward late in a fight, he has shown time and time again that he can and will. In his last outing against Conceicao he seemed to make a concerted effort to get ahead early and fight more responsibly than what was previously considered his norm. That seemed to work quite well for him.. until the cards were read.

The confusion at the result, and the heartbreaking loss of the title he worked so hard for, will likely make for a few adjustments from Foster this go round. It would seem to behoove him to be more obviously offensive and do more hunting on the front foot than pot-shotting and moving. Having that in mind, Conceicao may very well make some adjustments of his own, and when looking back at his body of work, his deeply ingrained defensive ability and sharp counterpunching may prove quite the obstacle for Foster to overcome should he choose to be the aggressor this go round.  

The first fight proved that in the eyes of the general boxing public, Foster can beat Conceicao and right what so many have deemed wrong. That very same fight also proved that in the eyes of the judges, Conceicao can do what needs to be done to remain WBC champion. Just what adjustments are made by who, and what lessons were learned by both of these top-notch boxers makes the rematch, in many ways, more intriguing and higher-stakes than the first go round.