LAS VEGAS – Shakur Stevenson thinks Oscar Valdez should’ve been prevented from boxing Robson Conceicao on September 10 because Valdez tested positive for a performance-enhancing stimulant banned by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association.
The criticism directed at Valdez after he tested positive for Phentermine was warranted, according to Stevenson, who will face Valdez on Saturday night at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Valdez’s upcoming opponent feels it was unfair, though, of those that contended Valdez didn’t deserve the unanimous-decision victory he was awarded over Conceicao.
“I thought he won,” Stevenson told BoxingScene.com. “I disagree with a lot of people who thought Valdez lost. I really thought he won just because of the fact that Conceicao let off the gas. I feel like he let off the gas. He not really an inside fighter, so later on in the fight Valdez kind of beat him on the inside. I feel like Valdez won.”
Brazil’s Conceicao (17-1, 8 KOs) got off to a strong start versus Valdez (30-0, 23 KOs), yet the previously undefeated fighter faded toward the end of their 12-round fight for Valdez’s WBC super featherweight championship September 10 in Tucson, Arizona.
Judge Stephen Blea (117-110) scored nine rounds for Valdez, though their fight was more competitive than that. Judges Omar Mintun (115-112) and Chris Tellez (115-112) scored seven rounds apiece for Conceicao.
Referee Tony Zaino deducted a point from Conceicao with 1:44 to go in the ninth round for hitting Valdez behind his head.
Nevertheless, CompuBox credited Conceicao for landing 58 more punches overall than Valdez (141-of-576 to 83-of-390).
According to CompuBox’s count, Conceicao connected on more power punches (103-of-297 to 64-of-209) and jabs (38-of-279 to 19-of-181). CompuBox credited Valdez with landing more punches in only one of the 12 rounds. They also landed the same number of shots in four rounds.
The 24-year-old Stevenson envisions leaving little doubt as to who will have won their 12-round, 130-pound title unification fight. Most sportsbooks have installed Stevenson (17-0, 9 KOs), a southpaw from Newark, New Jersey, as at least a 5-1 favorite to win a main event ESPN will broadcast as the headliner of a three-bout broadcast (10 p.m. ET; 7 p.m. PT).
“He’s undefeated,” Stevenson said of Valdez, a former WBO featherweight champ. “He’s 30-0. I feel like people don’t even give him enough credit. I feel like if it was anybody else, he’ll go in there and beat them. But he’s just going against a special fighter.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.