O’Shaquie Foster remains to be salty about shedding his WBC tremendous featherweight title towards #1 Robson Conceicao final Saturday night time by a twelve-round break up determination on the Prudential Middle in Newark, New Jersey.
Foster’s help afterward that he not solely deserved the choice however ought to have received each spherical suggests a disconnect from the fact of what occurred. He acquired outworked by Conceicao, and that’s why the judges gave it to the proficient Brazilian.
Conceicao Needed It Extra
After the combat, Conceicao mentioned Foster “didn’t come to combat” and was transferring and taking part in protection. He’s proper. Foster fought like a fighter who didn’t need to work exhausting.
That’s his fashion, although, as a result of he barely pulled out victories in his final two fights by rallying late after getting labored over Abraham Nova and Eduardo Hernandez.
Foster solely works a part of the time throughout his fights as a result of he lacks the need to work exhausting, and he paid for it towards the formidable, well-schooled 2016 Olympic gold medalist Conceicao.
Unbelievably, Foster (22-3, 12 KOs) claimed after the combat that he’d pitched a shutout, profitable each spherical in his thoughts, and he felt that the judges had given him a uncooked deal by not giving him the victory.
The judges scored it 116-112, 115-113 for Conceicao, and 116-112 for Foster. My rating was 117-111 in favor of Conceicao.
I watched the combat on a big-screen TV and didn’t see any issues with how the 2 judges scored it in favor of Conceicao (19-2-1, 9 KOs). He was the busier fighter, throwing the pictures, pushing the assault, and preserving Foster pinned to the ropes.
Foster’s Shakur-Esque Type: Protection Over Offense
Foster fought along with his regular Shakur fashion, simply attempting to make Conceicao miss and solely not often throwing a punch again. His complete recreation was centered round his protection moderately than throwing punches, nevertheless it was pure Shakur-eque stuff from the champion Foster. You’ll be able to’t win like that towards a fighter, throwing extra and preserving you pinned towards the ropes like Conceicao did.
Within the championship rounds, Foster ought to have gone all out and thrown some punches, however as an alternative, he stayed on the ropes, simply attempting to make Conceicao miss and trip his method to what he believed was a choice win.
It’s not a shock that Foster didn’t push exhausting within the final 4 rounds as a result of if he thought he was pitching a shutout, why would he take probabilities and throw? He was deluded and overconfident. Somebody in his profession ought to have impressed upon him the significance of hard-on offense and getting off the ropes.
Ultimately, Foster fought a silly combat, costing him his belt. He did the identical factor in his earlier match towards Abraham Nova however pulled out a choice by scoring a knockdown.
Protection Doesn’t Win Fights
“He didn’t come to combat. He didn’t appear to essentially need to combat me. I actually needed to combat him, and I went after the victory, and that was it,” mentioned Conceicao to Fighthype about his win over Foster.
“O’Shaquie combat, I inform it to my fighters on a regular basis. Protection is one factor, and offense is the opposite,” mentioned coach Kenny Ellis to MillCity Boxing, speaking about final Saturday night time’s combat that noticed the proficient Robson Conceicao lastly get a good shake with the judges along with his twelve-round break up determination over the defensive-minded Shakur-esque WBC tremendous featherweight champion O’Shaquie Foster.
Ellis brings up an excellent level. Protection doesn’t win fights. Letting your palms go does, and Foster forgot that lesson. In case you’re lazy and assume you possibly can win fights simply on protection, you’re going to lose eventually, and it’s not occurred to Foster.
“Protection gives you an extended profession, however since you’re slipping, you’re going protection, and also you’re not scoring. That’s the protection. You’re shedding punches. Every so often, Foster would counter with one or two,” mentioned Ellis.
“He was doing the shoulder roll, however he wasn’t responding like Floyd. Floyd would make you miss and make you pay. Every so often, Foster would include one shot right here and there. The opposite man [Conceicao] was truly working, and you then don’t know what the judges had been from their angle.”
Foster was attempting to dam and transfer with the punches that did land from Conceicao. He wasn’t countering something, and he was using with the pictures. When he would assault, it at all times temporary after which return to his shell.
I believe the followers who’re upset about Foster shedding had been his followers, they usually couldn’t see the reality even with it proper there in entrance of them.
A Lesson Discovered for Foster
They didn’t need to see the ugly actuality of their hero being uncovered by the harder-working Brazilian Conceicao, who realized early on that success comes from exhausting work. You don’t cling again and count on the win to be given to you on a silver platter.
“O’Shaquie is on the ropes, and the [judges] are his [Conceicao] again [throwing punches and being busier]. Despite the fact that he was lacking some pictures, they thought he was touchdown. Protection is an efficient factor, however palms win fights. He [O’Shaquie] wasn’t busy sufficient final night time,” mentioned Ellis.
Conceicao landed loads of pictures, particularly the right-hand punches he threw at Foster. These had been getting by continually, and he was at all times on the assault. Conceicao wasn’t backing up towards the ropes to relaxation and play possum like Foster.
“You return and watch the combat. Yeah, he was making him miss loads of occasions. ‘Oh, have a look at what I did.’ You’re not profitable. You’re simply making the person miss. Come again and make him miss and make him pay. He wasn’t doing that. He was doing it in spurts final night time. That was it. He wasn’t busy sufficient.
“Protection is a fantastic factor, however you’re not profitable since you make a person miss. You’re not profitable. Palms win fights. He was easy on his ft. He was making him miss, however he wasn’t countering again with nothing. I believe they made the precise name,” mentioned Ellis, believing that the judges did the precise factor by giving the win to Conceicao.
It’s nice to have protection, however when that’s all you may have, it received’t be sufficient for those who’re preventing an excellent opponent and high quality judges are working the combat. A set of three lesser judges may need given Foster a choice final Saturday, however not these three sensible officers.
“His protection was proper, however he wasn’t coming again with something. I didn’t see now shut-out. It was in spurts,” mentioned Ellis, reacting to being advised that Foster had mentioned after the combat that he felt he had pitched a shutout of Conceicao.
Foster’s complete recreation concerned him preventing in spurts, being lazy, and letting Conceicao do all of the exhausting work.
If Foster’s coach wasn’t giving him a heads-up about how dire his state of affairs was, he must dump that particular person and discover somebody who understands the circulate of a combat and may inform his fighter the bitter fact, even when they’re deluded into pondering they’re profitable by a shutout.
Soiled recreation. One of many best fights of my life we might be doing the whole lot potential to make this proper. However I’ll inform yall this within the rematch he not making it to 12 promise you that!!
— S H⚡️C Ok (@OshaquieFoster) July 7, 2024
