The World Boxing Council has ordered a rematch between Robson Conceicao and O’Shaquie Foster. The decision comes after the duo originally met in the ring on July 6th at the Prudential Center, Newark, for the WBC super featherweight title. It would be an understatement to say the fight was controversial. 

Then champion, Foster, controlled the vast majority of the fight, out-boxing and outperforming his Brazilian opponent. So, it seemed like an easy decision to make for the judges, but when the time came, two judges didn’t agree, and the fight ended with a split decision loss for Foster. Fans cried foul, and the WBC seems to have listened.

O’Shaquie Foster wants to avenge the robbery

Earlier today, talkSport editor Michael Benson hopped on X to reveal the ceremonious update with his followers. He wrote, “The WBC have now officially ordered an immediate rematch for Robson Conceicao vs O’Shaquie Foster after the controversial decision in their first WBC super-featherweight world title fight”.

Actually, there was such a need for a rematch to correct the wrong, even the WBC president had to officially announce the rematch on his X account. As far as Foster is concerned, after losing the fight last month, he said, “I thought it was a shutout. I thought it was an easy fight, I didn’t get touched except for a headbutt.” 

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“I’ll be back, I want the rematch, of course I want the rematch, they stole this fight from me”, Foster continued. It’s safe to say that Foster got his wish granted, and judging from the comments on Benson’s post, even the fans did!

No rematch, harsher punishment in demand

Right from the moment Conceicao got his hand raised after the fight, Foster had the public sympathy on his side. And the same reflected on these comments. One user suggested this was the first good thing the sanctioning body has done right. But there have been many such decisions in the past, and nothing really has been done about them.

The next user echoed the same sentiment, branding the first fight as a “highway robbery” and WBC’s decision as “A step in the right direction”. But this wouldn’t erase the loss Foster has on his record after the poorly officiated fight. 

Someone else seemed extremely mad about the decision in the first fight, while asking for the names of the judges involved. Notably, Tony Lundy, Ron McNair, and Paul Wallace were the judges in the fight, who scored the fight 112-116, 116-112, 113-115, respectively.

Even this user wasn’t happy with the officiating in the fight, asking for the judges to be fired. Such comments show how fans are losing confidence in the rules and regulations set up by organizers.

This user was boiling with anger, who claimed a rematch wasn’t even necessary because Foster easily won the fight. Instead, the decision should have been overturned. But that rarely happens if there’s no doping involved.

After the disappointing decision last month, the rematch update seems to have been received in high spirits by the fans. Hopefully, O’Shaquie Foster will be able to prove once and for all that he deserves to get his hand raised. What are your thoughts on the rematch?