The super featherweight division has met with a shocking upset. Defying expectations, Robson Conceicao finally had his dream come true, becoming a world champion after three failed attempts. He defeated reigning champion O’Shaquie Foster by a split decision to become the WBC’s 130-pound title holder. However, it seems the decision hasn’t gone down well across several corners.

The two junior lightweights met at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The fight was one of the undercards of Shakur Stevenson‘s first title defense against Artem Harutyunyan. Foster became a champion last year and defended the title twice before suffering shock defeats at the hands of the Brazilian Olympic gold medalist. The final result soon witnessed a slew of reactions from fans and celebrities who felt the decision was nothing short of a ‘robbery’.

O’Shaquie Foster: Dominance Disregarded

Out of the judges, two awarded their decision favoring Robson Conceicao, 116–112, and 115–113. Only one judge thought that O’Shaquie Foster had the better of the fight, 116–112. By most accounts, the American boxer appeared in control of the fight.

But it seems his performance eventually failed to impress the judges, who reportedly were taken up by Conceicao’s sudden spurts of attack. But Dan Rafael felt that ‘Ice Water’ was ‘schooling’ the Brazilian challenger! Reportedly, O’Shaquie Foster landed 109 shots in comparison to Robson Conceicao’s 76. The now-former American champion connected with 19.4% jabs and 33.7% power shots as against the 7% jabs and 15.7% power shots that found their mark from ‘Nino’s end.

Understandably, the decision surprised Foster. Demanding a rematch, he too, like many, felt that the match was forcibly taken away from him. He said, “I don’t know. I don’t know, man. I thought it was easy… thought it was an easy fight… They stole this from me. They stole this fight from me. I just wanted to show the world I could bang it out, and if I want to, I don’t have to get touched. I guess it wasn’t good enough for the judges.”

Outrage over an ‘unfair’ verdict

The social media was rife with reactions one after another. Many well-known names, too, joined the fray, venting their anger at the decision. Let’s check what some of them had to say.

Oscar-award-nominated actress and well-known boxing follower Rosie Perez just couldn’t believe her eyes when the results came.

Nat Fleischer Award recipient boxing analyst Kevin Iole found the scorecards horrendous and inconceivable that Robson Conceicao could have won the fight anyway.

Calling out the open travesty of justice, Combat Haven expressed their shock that O’Shaquie Foster controlled the fight till the last bell only to lose it by a decision.

Highlighting the unfair treatment meted out to Foster, the next user also stated that the American deserved a win. In no uncertain terms, the decision went against him in a particularly egregious way.

Using strong language, the next fan also stressed how O’Shaquie Foster was unjustly deprived of a win. They called it the most blatant and unfair instance of judging one could have ever witnessed in boxing.

Clearly, the match decision seems to have left a sour taste in many mouths. While terming the scores ‘garbage’, Dan Rafael questioned the very purpose of conducting boxing matches when there is a wide discrepancy between what actually happened in the ring and what eventually appeared on the judges’ scorecard.

Perhaps one should go back to the words of former world champion Johnny Nelson. In the aftermath of the Josh Taylor–Jack Catterall first match controversy, he famously quipped, “It’s decisions like this which turn casual fans off.” A rematch definitely appears to be the apt move to set the record straight.

Do you agree with what O’Shaquie Foster and scores of fans and followers felt about his loss?