Shock and Awe: For O’Shaquie Foster, out of darkness came a spark of defiance

Oโ€™SHAQUIE FOSTERโ€™S life and boxing career has been underpinned by resilience. Just over six years ago, โ€œShockโ€ was banged up in his hometown of Orange, Texas, seemingly destined for a life spent looking over his shoulder. While serving four months in a correctional facility, Hurricane Harvey simultaneously ripped through his community leaving very little for him to return to. But out of this darkness came a spark of defiance.

Alongside his inmates, surrounding a modestly sized television, Foster witnessed Terence Crawford beat Julius Indongo to claim super-lightweight supremacy and, from that moment, was adamant he was going to achieve his own greatness in the sport of boxing.

โ€œIt hit me there and then โ€“ I wasnโ€™t going to let a few bad decisions waste my potential,โ€ he told Boxing News from inside his gym in Houston, Texas. โ€œI was so close to ruining my life beyond repair, so I knew that I was going to have to make changes.โ€

And that he did. Sitting on a 10-2 (7) record, Foster packed up his bags and moved more than 100 miles to Houston where he began building the foundations for a better future. Bobby Benton took the reins as his head coach and so began a winning streak of 10 fights that he hopes will become 11 when he meets Eduardo โ€œRockyโ€ Hernandez 34-1 (31) in Cancun, Mexico. Saturdayโ€™s clash marks his first WBC title defence and once again underlines Fosterโ€™s willingness to do things the hard way.

โ€œIโ€™ve been keeping my eye on Rocky [Hernandez] for a while now, thinking that this fight would eventually come my way,โ€ he continued. โ€œWeโ€™ve both been under the same promotion before and itโ€™s a fight that has always interested me.

โ€œTravelling to Mexico doesnโ€™t phase me in the slightest. I am used to being the underdog throughout my career and coming in as the away fighter. Iโ€™ve fought in Costa Rica and Dubai in my last five fights, so this isnโ€™t anything different for me to worry about.

โ€œWeโ€™re expecting the typical come-forward Mexican style on Saturday from Hernandez. Heโ€™s tough, can hit hard and has an excellent left hook. But I believe that at this moment in time I am one of the best defensive fighters on the planet โ€“ and I proved that in beating [Rey] Vargas comfortably โ€“ so if we get things right, I should be able to deal with whatever he [Hernandez] throws my way.โ€

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Oโ€™Shaquie Foster works out at night in Cancun, Mexico for his upcoming fight against Rocky Hernandez (Ed Mulholland/Matchroom)

Foster prides himself on evasiveness inside the ring. Unsurprisingly, he grew up idolising Floyd Mayweather Jnr and at the age of 14 spent a year alongside Roger Mayweather and his son training under the Las Vegas lights. With this, albeit brief schooling under his belt, โ€œShockโ€ believes that the sky’s the limit in the fight game and is adamant that he will continue to keep all doors open.

โ€œI didnโ€™t get into boxing to reach that โ€˜cash-outโ€™ moment,โ€ the 30-year-old explains. โ€œI am in the game for the long haul and want to stay active โ€“ fighting three times a year if possible. I know I am good enough to keep fighting and keep winning, so why not test myself?โ€

โ€œIโ€™d love to go up to 140 lbs eventually, and possibly even 147 like Floyd, building a legacy as I go, but there are still big fights for me at super-featherweight over the next couple of years.โ€

โ€œJoe Cordina is of course a fight that I want. If I am being honest, it has gotten personal now between us. If he wants to use words like โ€˜bitchโ€™ when heโ€™s talking about me and call my manager a โ€˜bumโ€™ then heโ€™s going to have to accept the consequences when we come face-to-face.โ€

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Foster with his WBC belt (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

Cordina 16-0 (9) holds the IBF tirnket and has exchanged social media messages with Foster on a number of occasions regarding a possible bout. Fosterโ€™s manager, Keith Mills, confirmed to Boxing News that โ€œwhile we agreed terms with Matchroom in principle, no contract was ever received.โ€

โ€œI just donโ€™t think Cordina wanted to fight us at that time,โ€ Foster added. โ€œHe claims that we priced ourselves out of the fight, or didnโ€™t want to travel to the UK, but thatโ€™s crazy! The truth gets masked when everyone just starts shouting on social media.

โ€œAt the end of the day, itโ€™s an easy fight to make โ€“ there are no roadblocks on my side. I am a free agent still and have no problems coming to the United Kingdom in 2024. And mark my words, I am going to knock him out.โ€

The pair fight within a week of each other with Cordina heading to Monte Carlo to defend his title against Edward Vazquez on November 4. Will Foster be watching?

โ€œOf course. He hasnโ€™t impressed me much recently and I think heโ€™s going to have a tough night against Vazquez โ€“ we have sparred before and heโ€™s a solid guy. But none of this matters unless I get past Hernandez on Saturday.โ€

โ€œExpect total domination on Saturday,โ€ he concludes. โ€œI am out to show that when it comes to skill and all-round talent, I am one of the top guys in the sport. And then, Cordina, Iโ€™m coming!โ€

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