Fighter of the Week (10/23-10/29): 0’Shaquie Foster
In an absolute clown week of boxing, a "Fight of the Year", candidate took place in Mexico and is the leader in the clubhouse for the "Round of the Year" in its epic 11th stanza. "Ice Water" O'Shaquie Foster, of Orange, Texas, continues to battle back from the brink of prison, having his career completely derailed after suffering two losses in less than 12 months. To here, the WBC Super Featherweight world champion who has now successfully defended his world title and is making a strong run for "Fighter of the Year" Foster rallied back to score a 12th-round knockout of Eduardo "Rocky" Hernandez with about 30 seconds left in a fight he was down on the cards to retain his WBC strap, move his record to 21-2 (12) and prove that he is the top 130-pounder in the world.
Foster was willing to go into enemy territory to make his inaugural world title defense, and through 11 rounds, Foster was clearly being shafted by the officials in Hernandez's home country. Two of the judges had Foster down on the cards, which is reasonable but by unreasonable totals of 110-99, meaning Foster lost every round on that card. Another judge had it 107-102 for Hernandez, with the third favoring Foster. Trainer Bobby Benton revealed he thought his fighter needed a KO and instructed his pugilist to do so. Foster responded on the 11th. Early in the stanza, a right uppercut by the defending world champ buckled Hernandez badly. The challenger somehow stayed on his feet as the Texan went for the finish, and he teed off on his wounded opponent, who looked out on his feet. Hernandez rallied back late in the round. A right hand by Hernandez shocked Ice Water and left him in the ropes. In epic fashion, the two combatants traded bombs over the last 30-45 seconds of the round. Foster came out for the 12th, gunning for the knockout. The challenger fought as if he just needed to remain upright to win the fight, a correct assessment as the cards revealed. However, the champion was just too much. Foster landed a piece that sent the challenger to the canvas. The challenger beat the count and was allowed to continue. Foster kept the pressure on, landing a whirlwind of big shots, and a pair of right hands dropped his man for the second time. Who again made it to his feet? A final flurry from the Texan, who unleashed his arsenal, left Hernandez battered and beaten in the ropes. The ref jumped in to finally save the challenger, as the champion dramatically retained his title.
The East Texas native is having a banner year. If 2023 ended now, Foster would be the leader in the clubhouse for Fighter of the Year, Fight of the Year, Performance of the Year (Rey Vargas), and Round of the Year (Round 11 vs Hernandez). He is going to have a couple of big options for his next fight.The likely options are having a unification fight with the IBF Champ, whether that be Eddie Vazquez in an all-Texas shootout should Vazquez upset Joe Cordina this Saturday or Cordina. The other option that has been mentioned is a fight with current WBA Featherweight champ Leigh Wood who is likely moving up to 120 for his next fight and has become a fan favorite with his recent stoppage victories. Foster has completely resurrected his career in a relatively short time and now sits in the catbird seat and can pick his next opponent in a big-money fight.
