‘This kid got robbed,’ fumes Stephen A. Smith as ESPN analyst sounds off at ‘bad officials’ in O’Shaquie Foster fight
STEPHEN A. Smith has called out boxing judges after O’Shaquie Foster lost his WBC belt on Saturday night.
The 56-year-old sportscaster claimed Foster was "straight up robbed" in his showdown with Robson Conceicao.
Smith tuned into ESPN to watch the WBC super-featherweight title fight from Newark, New Jersey.
Foster was defending his belt and looked to make easy work of Brazilian Olympic gold medallist Conceicao.
He dominated much of the 12-round fight but was left stunned as two of the three judges ruled in favor of the Brazilian.
Foster won 116-112 on one card but lost his belt after two others judged the fight 116-112 and 115-113 for Conceicao.
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"Go ahead boxing…..continue to make us run away from the sport," a fuming Smith wrote on X.
"Watching @TopRankBoxing. This kid O'Shaquie Foster just got straight-up robbed.
"He literally won 11 of 12 rounds, yet they gave the decision to Robeson Conceicao.
"The promoters - making us wait for the best fights - are bad enough. Bad officials make it worse."
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Fans at home were similarly outraged by the result.
"You are so on point every time I try and go back to boxing things like this happen. Push me back to MMA," replied one fuming fan to Smith's rant.
"Boxing is a joke at this point," raged another.
"It’s a repetitive theme with boxing. Sad but true," wrote a third.
"That’s the worst boxing robbery I’ve ever seen," claimed a fourth.
An emotional Foster looked to have tears in his eyes following the controversial decision.
“I thought it was a shutout,” he told ESPN.
Stephen A. Smith's journey through media
STEPHEN A. Smith is now the face of ESPN and an executive producer on First Take having initially started working for the company back in 2003.
Smith has held various roles with the network, including hosting radio shows, SportsCenter contributions, and appearing on NBA Countdown.
He was a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer from 1994 to 2010.
His began as an NBA writer before becoming a general sports columnist.
Before that, Smith worked as a reporter with Winston-Salem Journal, the Greensboro News, and the New York Daily News.
“I thought it was easy. I didn’t get touched, except by a head-butt.
"I’ll be back. I want the rematch. They stole this fight from me."
Foster's loss ends the fighter's 12-bout winning streak and drops his pro record to 22-3.
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Stephen A. is currently enjoying a summer vacation from his weekday role on the sports debate show First Take.
The popular sportscaster is reportedly eyeing up a new $25 million contract with ESPN.