The highway that O’Shaquie Foster traveled to earn championship gold was paved in something however that treasured steel.
Few boxers at present have had a extra tumultuous path to the highest because the 30-year-old Texan. There have been a pair of early losses, the type that usually relegate rising prospects to gatekeeper standing, adopted by four-month jail stint in 2017 for an aggravated assault case that was initially an tried homicide cost.
He had been an novice prodigy, coming inside simply three factors of beating Joseph Diaz Jr. within the 2012 U.S. Olympic trials, however the promise proven by the boxer from the jap Texas metropolis of Orange might have gone unfulfilled had he not righted the ship.
Now, after successful the WBC junior light-weight title a yr in the past, the 30-year-old fighter is the place he had at all times dreamed of being. He’ll appear a world away from the Orange County Jail when he headlines an ESPN card on Feb. 16 towards Abraham Nova at The Theater at Madison Sq. Backyard in New York Metropolis. The combat might be his first below new promoter Prime Rank, which provides Foster a robust ally to assist with shifting ahead along with his boxing targets.
For Foster, the surreality of his journey isn’t misplaced on him.
“I give it some thought on a regular basis. All day, on daily basis after I’m coaching and every part. It’s tremendous loopy to me,” mentioned Foster (21-2, knockouts), who goes by “Shock” or “Ice Water” within the ring.
“I’ve seen myself right here as a child, watching it, desirous to be right here, however because the journey went on and sure stuff occurred, that is positively not what I anticipated to occur.”
Among the many setbacks have been two resolution losses, to the late Samuel Teah and Rolando Chinea, which came about in an eight month interval from 2015 to 2016. Foster went from prime prospect to high-risk, low-reward opponent in a single day, and will sense that individuals who had sang his praises had modified their tune. The one health club in his small city close to the Louisiana border closed down in 2011, making it more durable to remain targeted on his craft, and making him extra inclined to falling into the traps of the streets.
“Lots of people noticed me as a write-off. I took loads of B-side fights coming again. They thought I used to be meals or no matter, I positively noticed it out of individuals however I at all times knew what I had in me,” mentioned Foster, who’s rated no. 2 by The Ring at 130 kilos.
Keith Mills knew what he had in him additionally. The Virginia-based supervisor started working with Foster in 2016 and knew that Foster’s points might be fastened by placing him in the appropriate scenario. Foster says that Mills was at all times in his nook, however nonetheless made certain Foster did the onerous work to remain on observe.
“It was actually powerful [to get to the top] but it surely was extra a psychological factor, it was by no means bodily with Shock,” mentioned Mills.
“That is a type of sports activities the place you must utterly dedicate your self. You may’t be 60-70 % in, you’re gonna lose each time. Expertise solely takes you however thus far on this sport, and that’s actually what it was.”
Since strolling out of jail, Foster has received eleven straight, although he missed all of 2021 as a result of a contract dispute with former promoter Lou DiBella. His massive second got here in February of 2023, when he confronted the beforehand unbeaten Rey Vargas for the vacant WBC junior light-weight title. The switch-hitting Foster outclassed Vargas over twelve rounds to win a unanimous resolution and stamp himself as one of many prime 130-pounders on this planet.
His first protection, which came about this previous October in Cancun, Mexico, was way more eventful. Going through the tough-as-nails Eduardo Hernandez, Foster was pushed to the restrict in a combat that seemed to be carefully contested, although two of the judges had the Mexican fighter successful broadly.
There was no ambiguity to his actuality: Foster wanted a knockout heading into the ultimate spherical or he would have misplaced his belt by cut up resolution. And that’s simply what Foster delivered, with simply 22 seconds left to spare.
One choose, the inexperienced and inactive Nicolas Hidalgo of Venezuela, had Foster shedding all the rounds, 11-0, heading into the ultimate spherical.
“Man, you see what they tried to do? They wished to take the belt, it was loopy man,” remembers Foster. “It was identical to, ‘that belt coming house, don’t even fear about it. We’re already planning all these different fights to place them collectively.’ That’s the vitality we obtained from them.”
As Foster was trying out of the resort, he was shocked to be greeted by Hidalgo, who enthusiastically recognized himself because the choose with the indefensible scorecard, a lot to Foster’s bewilderment.
Foster noticed firsthand the risks that being a promotional free agent in a sport dictated by politics might be. It was a lot to his reduction when he noticed Prime Rank was serious about having him be part of their roster.
“I’ve been trying carefully at Prime Rank however I by no means might catch their eye till the final combat. After they did come, I used to be excited. I felt just like the love they confirmed me once they got here to me, it was actual love, it was real, it wasn’t like we simply need him so we will throw him within the combine,” mentioned Foster, who now lives in Houston, the place he has educated below Bobby Benton, distant from the distractions of his hometown.
Prime Rank chairman Bob Arum expressed his pleasure with working with Foster in a press launch this previous November, stating “O’Shaquie Foster is a supremely gifted champion within the prime of his profession. We’re thrilled to welcome him to Prime Rank, and I eagerly await his subsequent world title protection.”
Mills says the connection with Prime Rank makes for nice potentialities for Foster’s profession. Starting with Nova (23-1, 16 KOs), Prime Rank has a deep roster of boxers across the light-weight divisions who might make for engaging matchups for Foster.
Nova, 30, of Albany, N.Y. by means of Puerto Rico is a long-time veteran of the Prime Rank steady and is trying to get his first shot at a world title. He has received twice since his lone defeat, a fifth spherical knockout loss to Robeisy Ramirez in June of 2022, together with a 3rd spherical knockout of Jonathan Romero final July.
Foster merely says that Nova is an effective fighter that he’s had his eye on. Mills recollects way more acrimony between the 2 than Foster is letting on. He says Nova had accomplished an interview a number of years in the past by which he mentioned lower than complimentary issues about Foster.
“They went backwards and forwards somewhat bit however nothing materialized. Nova simply didn’t need any a part of Shock, he simply couldn’t come out and say it. The issues that he mentioned have been lasting and it’s humorous how issues come collectively,” mentioned Mills.
“Shock is giving him a possibility when he didn’t give Shock a possibility. At the moment, I consider Nova had an even bigger identify than Shock. He was with the appropriate individuals to make issues occur.”
Now Mills believes it’s Foster who has the appropriate individuals with him, the type of people that could make massive issues occur in his profession, supplied he will get previous Nova.
“The world opens up. There’s unifications, Prime Rank has a variety of fighters. Oscar Valdez continues to be on the market, that’s a fantastic combat. We’ve at all times wished that Valdez combat when he was champion. In fact we weren’t in place however we’re in place now to offer him a possibility. That’s a pleasant combat on the market but when not there are all of those unification fights on the market,” mentioned Mills.
Foster provides that unification bouts with WBA titleholder Lamont Roach Jr., who’s at the moment a promotional free agent, might be the best path to a unification bout, although a showdown with IBF junior light-weight titleholder Joe Cordina of Wales is also a sexy combat.
“Positively trying to unify whether or not it’s Lamont or Cordina, both one. [WBO junior lightweight titleholder Emanuel] Navarrete, I’m unsure what he has occurring, he’s going as much as 135 so which may should be a future combat at any time when I find yourself going up. Positively Leigh Wooden could be cool, the winner of Oscar and [Liam] Wilson could be cool,” mentioned Foster.
There have been occasions when many doubted Foster might have gotten so far. Now that he has, Foster is trying to take advantage of out of this chance.
“The true drawback for the remainder of the boxing world now’s, Shock’s dedication and his work ethic have lastly caught up along with his expertise and now you’re seeing the product of that,” mentioned Mills.
Ryan Songalia has written for ESPN, the New York Every day Information, Rappler and The Guardian, and is a part of the Craig Newmark Graduate College of Journalism Class of 2020. He will be reached at [email protected].