Trent Reinsmith
- Date & Location: Saturday, September 23, 2022, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
- Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+
Shakur Stevenson puts his WBC, WBO, and Ring Magazine junior lightweight titles on the line in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey, on September 23 when he faces Robson Conceicao at the Prudential Center.
Stevenson, a silver medal winner at bantamweight at the 2016 Olympics, is 18-0 in his professional career. In April, the 25-year-old unified two junior lightweight titles with a unanimous decision win over Oscar Valdez. The former featherweight champ won the WBO junior lightweight crown in October with a knockout of Jamel Herring, who had held that title since May 2019. Stevenson has nine knockouts, and nine decision wins in his career.
Conceicao is 17-1 in his pro career. The lightweight gold medal winner at the 2016 Olympics only loss came to Valdez in September 2021. Valdez won that contest via unanimous decision. The 33-year-old Conceicao has eight knockout wins and nine decision victories to his name. He is the No. 4 rated boxer at junior lightweight, according to The Ring Magazine. The Brazilian is coming off a January decision win over the previously undefeated Xavier Martinez.
Before we look at the matchup between Shakur Stevenson and Robson Conceicao, check out the best boxing betting sites, and if you are interested in other combat sports, where you can find the best boxing picks.
Shakur Stevenson vs Robson Conceicao picks
| Fighters |  |  |  |  |
| Robson Conceicao | +800 | +825 | +700 | +592 |
| Shakur Stevenson | -1600 | -2000 | -1400 | -1666 |
Shakur Stevenson vs. Robson Conceicao prediction and picks
Shakur Stevenson is the better technical fighter in this matchup. He can fight going forward or backward, and he can also be effective laterally. Contrast that with Robson Conceicao, who is best when he works from the outside and controls range and counters.
Stevenson doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses, but he sometimes leaves himself open to counters, especially to the body. Another thing to watch is if Stevenson employs more head movement than he did in the Valdez fight, where his opponent had some success with his crosses.
Conceicao is the taller and longer fighter, but despite that, he can get his head out over his feet when he fights from distance and that opens him up to counters, especially from fast and technically sound foes.
Stevenson should be able to exploit the porous high guard of his opponent and his inexperience against high-level southpaw competition.
Pick: Shakur Stevenson to beat Robson Conceicao.
Betting value with Stevenson
Simply put, this is Stevenson’s fight to lose. He is the better, more skilled, and technically superior boxer.
The easy pick is Stevenson to win. A value bet on this fight would be Stevenson to win via stoppage because of damage. Stevenson is likely to pick Conceicao apart because of his high guard defense, and with that, the ref — or corner — might call an end to this fight in the later rounds.
Prediction: Shakur Stevenson to beat Robson Conceicao via TKO.
What’s at stake
There has been talking of a matchup between Stevenson and Devin Haney. Haney owns the IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO, and The Ring titles at 135 pounds. A Stevenson win against Conceicao won’t make that fight a lock, but it won’t hurt. As for Conceicao, he can spoil a lot of plans with a win in Newark.
Pick: Shakur Stevenson to beat Robson Conceicao.
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