WBC orders immediate rematch between Conceicao and Foster
Top Rank will make plans to put on the junior lightweight title bout
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Former WBC junior lightweight titlist O’Shaquie Foster will get a chance to reclaim the belt in an immediate rematch with Robson Conceicao.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman announced the sanctioning body’s decision on Monday.
“The WBC Board of Governors has ruled to order a direct rematch between WBC (130-pound) champion Robson Conceicao & former champion O’Shaquie Foster,” Sulaiman posted on social media.
Foster (22-3, 12 KOs), 30, of Houston, made his third defense against Conceicao (19-2-1, 9 KOs), 35, a three-time Brazilian Olympian and 2016 gold medalist, on July 6 in the co-feature of WBC lightweight titlist Shakur Stevenson’s rout of Artem Harutyunyan at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, and lost a heavily disputed split decision.
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Judge Ron McNair had Foster winning 116-112 but judges Anthony Lundy (116-112) and Paul Wallace (115-113) had it for Conceicao, who was overcome with emotion when he was announced as the winner, finally having claimed a world title after having gone 0-2-1 in three previous opportunities at 130 pounds.
There was immediate outcry, however, about the scoring. The ESPN commentators had Foster winning easily and social media was flooded with incredulity over the decision. Fight Freaks Unite had Foster winning 118-110.
Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, who promotes both fighters, told Fight Freaks Unite that the company will follow the WBC’s direction and look to do the rematch.
“When I was watching on television, despite what the announcers were saying, I thought it was a close fight. But if Mauricio ordered a rematch then we’re gonna do a rematch,” Arum said. “I asked (Top Rank vice president) Carl (Moretti) and (Top Rank president) Todd (duBoef), who were there, and they both said it was very, very close, it could have gone either way.
“Again, the announcers scoring it 11-1 really distorted everything. But no question it was a close fight, and if the WBC wants us to do a rematch then absolutely no problem doing a rematch.”
Top Rank is also in the process of putting together an all-Mexican rematch between WBO junior lightweight titlist Emanuel Navarrete (38-2-1, 31 KOs), 29, and interim titlist and mandatory challenger Oscar Valdez (32-2, 24 KOs), 33, with Dec. 7 the target date.
Arum said after both rematches, Top Rank may look to match the winners in a unification fight. Valdez owns a close decision over Conceicao in a 2021 WBC junior lightweight title defense and Navarrete and Conceicao fought to majority draw in an action-packed WBO title bout in November.
In August 2023, three-division titlist Navarrete won a unanimous decision over two-division titleholder Valdez in an all-action fight of the year contender to retain the title in a highly anticipated showdown.
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