Foster Edges Ford In A Houston Thriller
Right then — that is how you defend a world title in your own backyard. O'Shaquie Foster got the job done in front of his home crowd at the Fertitta Center in Houston, beating Raymond Ford by majority decision to make it two successful defences of his WBC super-featherweight crown. The cards read 118-110, 116-112, and 114-114. A clear win on two of the three, a draw on the other, and a thoroughly absorbing scrap throughout.
This was a proper fight between two former world champions who both knew exactly what was on the line. Foster is the cleaner boxer, Ford the more explosive athlete, and for long stretches it was the kind of skilled chess match that rewards the educated eye. Two men at this level, on a big stage, leaving nothing in the tank.
Foster's Boxing Brain Won It
Make no mistake, Foster won this with his ring IQ. When Ford pressed, the champion gave him angles. When Ford loaded up, Foster was already half a step gone, jabbing and moving and banking the rounds. That 118-110 card might look wide, but it reflects how comfortably he controlled the tempo when he was switched on. One of the slicker operators at the weight, and he showed it.
Ford, for his part, had his moments — flashes of the speed and pop that won him a world title in the first place — and that 114-114 card was not a robbery. There were rounds you could argue either way, and the El Paso judge clearly leaned on Ford's heavier single shots. But over twelve rounds Foster was the busier, smarter, more consistent fighter, and the right man got the nod.
The Championship Rounds Sealed It
The fight tightened down the stretch, as the good ones do. Ford knew he needed a big finish and went looking for it, but Foster has been in deep water before and he did not panic. He used his feet, tied up when he had to, and pinched the rounds that mattered. That is championship experience, and it is exactly why he is the one still holding the belt.
Where Foster Goes From Here
Two defences in, Foster has quietly built himself a serious case as one of the best 130lb fighters on the planet. The super-featherweight division is loaded, and there are big nights waiting for him against the other belt-holders and contenders at the weight. I would love to see him in a unification next — he has the style to trouble anyone.
My take? Foster is too clever, too composed, and too well-schooled to be beaten by anyone who simply tries to out-athlete him. The man who finally takes his belt will need to out-think him, and that is a very short list. A rematch with Ford would sell, but I would rather see Foster chase a second world title or a unification. He is in his prime and he should be in the biggest fights available.