Robson Conceição didn’t experience the hangover of beating the world title. Less than five months out of the decisive loss to the WBC super featherweight world champion Oscar ValdezConceição won a one-way decision compared to the previous unbeaten run Xavier Martinez in the WBC 10-round featherweight superweight title elimination match on Saturday night at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.
(Image Credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rated via Getty Images)
Conceição (17-1, 8 KOs), ranked 3rd by the WBC, won with scores of 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92. He knocked out Martinez (17-1, 11 KOs) in each of the last five rounds.
After the battle, Conceição called for a rematch with Valdez.
“I learned a lot from that Oscar Valdez loss, and that’s why I can give it my all,” Conceição said. “I am not discouraged by what happened that evening. I know who I am, and I know that if I give it my all, I can be in this form. But my mind is on Valdez, and I definitely want that shot.
“Honestly, I think Xavier Martinez punches harder than Oscar Valdez. I feel his punches, but I know this is the kind of fight I need to prepare myself for because I’m a world champion boxer. And I definitely want Oscar Valdez.”
Martinez had plenty of success, overwhelming Conceição in rounds 4 and 9. But heavy hits were few and far between, as the 2016 Brazilian Olympic gold medalist finally showed his class. me.
“I think it was closer,” said Martinez. I know I didn’t do enough to win. I’ve been sitting around too much. I didn’t listen to the game plan fully. That’s what it is. I will not become a painful loser. He did his thing tonight. It’s not my night. I’m not done. This is just the beginning.”
Cruise Cabrera via Giron
Giovanni Cabrera (19-0.7 KO), who was coached by Freddie Roach, author of a one-way boxing exhibition with a unanimous decision to Rene Tellez Giron (16-2, 10 KOs) in eight baseweight synergies (scores: 77-75 and 78-74 2x). Cabrera, from Chicago, returned to action for the first time since 2019 and ended Giron’s three-match winning streak.
Giron came to prominence with his 2019 knockout win over Karlos Balderas, but he showed a 5kg overweight on Friday for his originally scheduled matchup against Luis Melendez. He was then compared to Cabrera, who weighed 138.6 and was hoping to maneuver like a lightweight forward moving forward.
Cabrera overtakes Giron, 141-122, and draws the referee’s card at length.
In action below:
- Medium Nico Ali Walsh (4-0, 3 KOs) returned to the venue where he made his professional debut last August and once again scored the unfortunate goal. Ali Walsh took care Jeremiah Yeager (1-2-1, 1 KO) in the second round, knocking him out for the first time with a left-right combo. Just before the second knock, Ali Walsh overtook his grandfather’s patented Ali Shuffle and finished things off with a left hook. Ali Walsh said, “I think the main thing is to stay calm, which I did. Another thing is head movement and defense, which I feel like I’ve improved on. I fought last month, so if I can make those small improvements in such a short amount of time, who’s to say what I can do in the next battle? “I am not planning for {Ali Shuffle}. It’s emotional, of course. A lot of work has been and is going on, but I don’t plan on doing that. It was just something that happened. ”
- Cleveland-born Tiger Johnson (2-0 1 KO), who represented the US at the Tokyo Olympics last year, lived up to his blue-chip bill with a one-sided, four-round decision against Xavier Madrid ( 3-1, 1 KO). All three referees gave the score 40-36 to Johnson, who stunned Madrid a few times in the fourth inning. The Albuquerque native shot back and saw the final bell.
- Heavyweight born in St. Louis Stephen Shaw (16-0, 12 KOs) shined on his Top Rank debut, stopping Philadelphia’s Joey Dawejko (21-10-4, 12 KOs) in the round of 16. Shaw never seriously injured Dawejko, but referee Gerald Ritter stopped play on Dawejko’s advice to take a corner.
- Stressful feeling Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (2-0.1 KO), from Brownsville, Brooklyn, knocks out Steven Brown (1-1, 1 KO) in the second round with a devastating strike. Carrington pinned Brown to the rope and knocked him out with four clean shots. The final blow, a cut on the left, caused Brown to crumple the canvas.
- Carla Torres (7-6) used her pinpoint accuracy to beat Pink Tyson (11-3, 2 KOs) through an eight-round majority decision in a lightweight bout. The scorecard reads as follows: 76-76, 77-75 and 80-72.
- Featherweight prospects Haven Brady Jr. (5-0.3 KOs) broke through six rounds professionally for the first time, knocking out Mexican Diuhl Olguin (15-21-5, 10 KOs) with an identical score of 60- 54 .
- Light Heavyweight Dante Benjamin Jr. (1-0, 1 KO) made a successful professional debut, knocking out Emany Rendon (2-1) at 2:05 in the opening round. Benjamin knocks out Rendon twice, ending the skirmish with a short left hook.
