Shakur Stevenson's final fight at 130 pounds was as dominant as one would expect. He ran roughshod over Robson Conceicao for a unanimous decision victory in a homecoming fight inside the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Friday night.
Stevenson was unable to retain his WBC and WBO junior lightweight titles after coming in overweight, but he likely would have vacated them anyway as a move up was expected.
And his move to the lightweight division will be highly anticipated with opponents such as undisputed champion Devin Haney, Vasiliy Lomachenko, Ryan Garcia and others in his crosshairs.
"Everybody at 135 has to get it," Stevenson said. "Me and Devin can lock in. . . . I'll fight Lomachenko, too."
Stevenson (19-0) earned scores of 117-109, 118-108 and 117-109 from the judges. The only thing he wasn't able to do on this night was pick up the knockout. Conceicao proved to be too tough of a nut to crack.
The normally defense-minded Stevenson was on the hunt throughout. He pounded away at Conceicao's body and put the Brazilian down in the fourth round with a left to the torso.
Conceicao was outgunned but he refused to back down. He continued to throw punches but just couldn't find the mark. Stevenson, meanwhile, routinely slammed power shots into his opponent.
Stevenson walked down his opponent in the later rounds and sought to send the fans home happy with a knockout, but they would have to settle for a one-sided performance from one of the fastest-rising stars in boxing.
Here's how it all went down:
Shakur Stevenson vs. Robson Conceicao live results, updates
Stevenson dominates Conceicao for unanimous decision
Round 12: It's the final round and Stevenson is still looking for an opportunity to close the show. Very hard body shot from Stevenson causes Conceicao to clinch. Stevenson hunting down Conceicao but the Brazilian is hanging around. Stevenson bounces several shots off Conceicao's head. Total domination.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Stevenson (119-107, Stevenson)
Round 11: Maybe this is just what it's going to be. Conceicao won't go away as we enter the final two rounds. Stevenson is complaining about the holding and then lands a short left hand. A left uppercut freezes Conceicao. A pair of hard lefts land. Another left uppercut hurts Conceicao. Right hook sends Conceicao reeling into the ropes. He survives yet another round.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Stevenson (109-98, Stevenson)
Round 10: Stevenson lands a counter left hand. Conceicao is staying busy to stay alive but he's not doing much to change what Stevenson is doing. Stevenson just hammering away to the head and body with power shots. He's focused on getting the knockout but Conceicao refuses to go away. Stevenson throws Conceicao to the canvas again and is warned.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Stevenson (99-89, Stevenson)
Round 9: There's really no reason to score this fight, but here we are. Stevenson has landed nearly 100 more punches than Conceicao. To his credit, Conceicao is still fighting. Stevenson lands a left hand and a pair of power shots. Stevenson throws Conceicao down and is docked a point. Stevenson is just too fast and catches Conceicao whenever he tries to move forward. Conceicao is now just looking for the moral victory of making it to the final bell.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 9-9 (89-80, Stevenson)
Round 8: The doctor checked on Conceicao between rounds, and Conceicao he didn't look great. His corner is urging him on but he really has no shot to win. Stevenson sneaks a left hand between the gloves and goes back to the body. Conceicao is letting his hands go to try to keep Stevenson from steamrolling him. It's happening anyway. Conceicao lands a looping right hand. Stevenson continues to rip the body apart. He's looking for the knockout.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Stevenson (80-71, Stevenson)
Round 7: This could be the beginning of the end as Stevenson's shots are landing with more frequency. Short left to the jaw lands for Stevenson. Conceicao has no idea where the punches are coming from. Stevenson with a one-two and Conceicao wobbles. His legs are a mess. The end is near as Stevenson just picks him apart. Stevenson hitting him all over. This is a beating.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Stevenson (70-62, Stevenson)
Round 6: Conceicao needs to do something because he's getting dominated. Conceicao lands a right hand and a couple of body shots. Stevenson walks his opponent into the ropes and slams a series of body shots into him. It's one-way traffic now. Sweeping left hook by Stevenson lands flush. Conceicao is just swinging and hoping to land but is eating some serious counters. Stevenson lands and Conceicao freezes. A huge left hook rocks Conceicao. Stevenson hunting him down but the round ends.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Stevenson (60-53, Stevenson)
Round 5: Conceicao is just trying to keep Stevenson off him at this point as Stevenson rips away at the body. Stevenson cuts an angle and lands a left and a right to the body. Conceicao lands a hard right hand but it has no effect. Stevenson is killing the Brazilian's body. Stevenson with a left hook as the round comes to a close.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Stevenson (50-44, Stevenson)
Round 4: Stevenson walks Conceicao into a short left but gets hit with a right hand. Stevenson landing with hard lefts to the head and body. He's walking Conceicao down. Stevenson rips with a combination as he's firmly in control of the fight. Right hook and then left to the body by Stevenson. They exchange hooks but Conceicao is the one who moves backward. Conceicao walks into a left hand to the body at the end of the round, takes a knee and it's scored a knockdown.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-8, Stevenson (40-35, Stevenson)
Round 3: Conceicao seems committed to boxing with Stevenson, which is a bad idea. But he lands with a pair of combinations. Stevenson lands a right hand to the body and slams a left hand into Conceicao's face. Conceicao lands with a left hook. Hard left uppercut by Stevenson snaps Conceicao's head back. It's heating up. They are both swinging but Stevenson is finding his mark to the body. Counter left by Stevenson.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Stevenson (30-27, Stevenson)
Round 2: Stevenson steps in with a left hand. Conceicao lands with a left hand. Stevenson with a left to the body and follows with a right hand. Stevenson with a quick combination. Stevenson digs to the body and sends a left hand over the top. Conceicao lands with a right to the body and a right over the top. Stevenson starting to move forward and get more aggressive.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Stevenson (20-18, Stevenson)
Round 1: Both fighters are looking to find their range. Not a lot happening yet as they try to control the center of the ring. Stevenson connects with a one-two to the chin. Conceicao was not able to find Stevenson. Not a lot happening but Stevenson landed the only shots of consequence.
SN Unofficial Scorecard: 10-9, Stevenson
11:33 p.m.: Shakur Stevenson is on his way to the ring with rapper Kevin Gates accompanying him on his walkout. It's a homecoming for Stevenson in New Jersey and this crowd is white hot.
11:20 p.m.: We're moments away from Shakur Stevenson vs. Robson Conceicao. Stevenson has brought some celebrities out to watch him, including Giants running back Saquon Barkley and welterweight champion Terence Crawford.
Keyshawn Davis stops Omar Tienda in five rounds
11:08 p.m.: Davis got the job done with a scintillating TKO. After dropping Tienda with a short right to the temple, Davis went to work with a barrage of punches, including some vicious left hands, that ended the night. Davis is now 6-0 with five knockouts. Lightweights, watch out.
10:57 p.m.: After two rounds it is clear that Tienda is no match for Davis. The gap in talent is extremely wide. That doesn't mean that Tienda is out of the fight but Davis is settling into a groove with some exceptional body work.
10:48 p.m.: We are finally getting started as Tienda and Davis are in the ring. Only a 48-minute delay.
10:21 p.m.: Looks like we are waiting until the conclusion of the college football game before we get started. Drink some coffee.
10 p.m.: The main and co-main events are getting ready to start. Unfortunately, Shakur Stevenson missed weight and is unable to retain his title and has announced a planned move to 135 pounds. But before he can do that, he'll need to defeat Conceicao. Keyshawn Davis, a 2020 Olympic silver medalist, will look to continue his ascent when squares off against Omar Tienda in a lightweight bout.
When is Shakur Stevenson vs. Robson Conceicao?
- Date: Friday, Sept. 23
- Undercard: 5:30 p.m. ET
- Main card: 10 p.m. ET
- Main event: 11:30 p.m. ET (approximate)
Shakur Stevenson vs. Robson Conceicao will take place Friday, Sept. 23. The undercard is set to start at 5:30 p.m. ET. The main card begins at 10 p.m. ET. Stevenson and Conceicao should make their way to the ring around 11:30 p.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
How to watch Shakur Stevenson vs. Robson Conceicao
- ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes
The Stevenson vs. Conceicao main card will air on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+. The undercard will be airing exclusively on ESPN+.
MORE: Shakur Stevenson vs. Robson Conceicao: Expert prediction, best bets
Shakur Stevenson vs. Robson Conceicao price: How much does the card cost?
You will need to pay $9.99 a month for a monthly subscription to ESPN+ or an annual subscription for $99.99/year. The Stevenson vs. Conceicao fight won't be an additional cost to current ESPN+ subscribers.
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $13.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
MORE: Sign up to watch Shakur Stevenson vs. Robson Conceicao on ESPN+
Shakur Stevenson vs. Robson Conceicao fight card
Main card
- Shakur Stevenson def. Robson Conceicao via unanimous decision (117-109, 118-108, 117-109).
- Keyshawn Davis def. Omar Tienda via 5th-round TKO (1:38).
Undercard
- Jahi Tucker vs. Jose Luis Sanchez; welterweights
- Bruce Carrington vs. Jose Argel; featherweights
- Armani Almestica vs. Omar Urieta; lightweights
- Pablo Valdez vs. Noe Alejandro Lopez; welterweights
- Orlando Gonzalez vs. Misael Lopez; featherweights
- Floyd Diaz vs. Eduardo Diogo; junior featherweights
