By: Sean Crose
“Yesterday he said I was fake,” Robson Conceicao said of Shakur Stevenson after their brainstorming match for their Friday night fight, “so he showed the world who the fake was – it was him. is him”. Conceicao was understandably disqualified by the fact that Stevenson, who used to hold the WBO and WBC lightweight belts, missed the weight for their match by more than a pound. The former 17-1 gold medalist also made it clear through an interpreter that he feels Stevenson is letting local fans down, as the match will end at the Prudential Center in Newark, Stevenson’s hometown. “He should give the example of your hometown,” Conceicao said, “and that suggests the opposite.”
Simply put, Conceicao has made it clear that he believes Stevenson 18-0 does not meet the requirements of his job as a boxer. “He’s not professional,” Conceicao said, “and so it’s a shame for all of the boxing world.” When asked if he felt Stevenson had neglected to take him seriously, Conceicao was quick to respond. “Oh, sure,” he said. However, the Brazilian candidate also made it clear that he is brimming with confidence ahead of the biggest battle of his career. “Even if he showed his weight,” he said of Stevenson, “I’ll take his belt… (if) it’s his, no one’s, I’ll take it home. ” Fortunately, Conceicao still has a chance to win the WBC and WBO belts even though Stevenson has now been stripped of the belt.
Conceicao points out that he and Stevenson are simply different people. “I don’t talk as much as he does,” Conceicao said, “so I’m a professional athlete in the ring and do in my sport, not as talkative as he is.” Clearly Conceicao feels he embodies what it means to be a professional boxer. “Tomorrow I will show the world what a professional athlete and boxer I am,” he said. There are still some fighters who feel boxing requires more than winning on a resume, and Conceicao has made it clear, through his interpreter, that he is one of them.
“Any kind of champion… has to be an example to the world,” he said. “He’s not an example,” he added, referring to Stevenson. Conceicao will no doubt provide an example of how to shock the fighting world if he goes up against Stevenson on Friday night at the Prudential Center. The fight will be broadcast live on ESPN starting at 10 p.m. ET.
