WBC junior lightweight champ O'Shaquie Foster is close to finalizing a May title defense against another talented American contender, Raymond Ford.
It looks like we'll be getting an interesting world title fight at 130 b. between two noteworthy Americans, as champ O'Shaquie Foster will apparently defend next against contender Raymond Ford likely in late May.
Insider Dan Rafael had more on his Substack Tuesday morning, for Foster's latest title defense. He reported that Foster, who has a deal with Top Rank Boxing has agreed to his side of the defense and that Matchroom Boxing, who promotes Ford, must finalize. And, the likely date is May 30th with a site to either be in Foster's home of Houston or potentially in Las Vegas.
Top Rank Boxing's Vice President Carl Moretti confirmed the status updates directly with Rafael.
The 32 year old Texan Foster is 24-3, 12 KOs was last in the ring in December, when he easily decisioned Stephen Fulton to win the vacant WBC interim lightweight crown,. For his part, Fulton had badly missed 130 lb. weight limit and could not challenge for Foster’s belt. Almost Comically, the WBC then turned the fight into a "lightweight" interim title fight overnight.
After Foster's easy win he vacated that interim 135 lb. belt to remain at junior lightweight with the full title.
As for the 27 year old Ford, 18-1-1, 8 KOs, he's a talented southpaw from Camden, New Jersey. He's most known for his dramatic 12th round comeback TKO of Otabek Kholmatov in a fight of the year contender in March of 2024. That night Ford was trailing on two of the three scorecards headed into the final frame and stopped Kholmaatov in the final minute of the WBA featherweight title fight to end all doubt.
Unfortunately, he lost it by split decision to England's Nick Ball and his belt three months later and then, moved up to junior lightweight. Ford has won all three of his fights since, most recently in August with a 12 round decision over Abraham Nova.
Foster won a rematch split decision over Robson Conceicao in November 2024 in a rematch to regain the WBC title he lost to Conceicao by dubious split decision four months earlier. Foster didn’t fight for a full year until the Fulton bout last December, but certainly has championship pedigree to help with the promotion of the title fight.
The Foster-Ford matchup has been in the works for a couple of months, as both attened the Matchroom Boxing card in late February headlined by WBO/IBF unified 130 lb. champ, Emanuel Navarrete of Mexico. He scored an 11th round knockout of Eduardo “Sugar” Nunez in Glendale, Arizona, Foster and Ford were there that night and had a face off for publicity.
Foster is an intriguing personal story of redemption, as he was previously incarcerated in 2017 for four months in a Texas jail for assault with a deadly weapon. He turned his life around, since then, and has become a championship worthy fighter.
Top Rank and Matchroom Boxing are now more apt to work together, as well, since both now have deals with the same broadcaster, DAZN, who will stream this proposed title fight.