Veteran Trainer Bobby Benton Believes O’Shaquie Foster Brings Out the Best in His Opponents
As O’Shaquie Foster prepares to defend his WBC junior lightweight title for the third time this Saturday in Newark, New Jersey, his long-time trainer Bobby Benton acknowledges that the 30-year-old champion consistently brings out the best in his opponents.
Foster will face off against the formidable Robson Conceicao, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist from Brazil, on the undercard of the Shakur Stevenson-Artem Harutyunyan main event at the Prudential Center.
Benton is not one to overstate his own role in guiding Foster to the championship level, but he recognizes the significance of his fighter’s achievements in the 130-pound division. “Good fighter, dangerous fight,” Benton said of Conceicao. “He’s relentless in some ways, but he’s tricky, too. He’s not scared. He’ll throw from kind of weird spots. It’s a good fight, I always look at these guys as they’re always going to be their best performance against ‘Shock.'”
Benton acknowledged that Conceicao has faced stiff competition and suffered contentious defeats, but he emphasized the Brazilian’s endurance and potential to be a threat. “He can go all day,” Benton said. “His losses are to all world champions, and one of those is controversial. He’s dangerous. He’s a dangerous guy, but that’s where we’re at, and at this point in our career, it’s just the way it is. We gotta be ready for everything.”
Reflecting on Foster’s recent outing against Abraham Nova in February, Benton discussed the challenges his fighter faced, including a nagging injury. Despite those hurdles, Benton remains confident in Foster’s abilities and readiness for the Conceicao showdown. “He just didn’t do everything he could have done,” Benton said. “The third round, he got elbowed in the bicep and his thumb [was hurt], and it was a lot going on for him to fight through that. He also had the foot injury before the fight.”
As Foster aims to defend his title against the tough and experienced Conceicao, Benton’s words highlight the respect and recognition that the champion has earned within the boxing community.
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