The bizarre designation of last Saturday's O'Shaquie Foster vs. Stephen Fulton fight as a sudden WBC "interim" lightweight title fight became moot on Friday. That's when Foster gave up that bestowed belt just days after having his hand raised.
O’Shaquie Foster was given 15 days to choose between holding on to his newly won WBC interim lightweight title he captured last Saturday night or keeping his full WBC junior lightweight championship, but his decision came much quicker.
Foster has officially relinquished the interim lightweight belt he won via a dominant unanimous decision over Stephen Fulton Jr. Foster’s win came in San Antonio, TX on the PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view card, which was headlined by Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and Lamont Roach Jr. fighting to a 12 round draw.
Originally, Foster was scheduled to defend his WBC 130 lb. strap against Fulton, the reigning WBC featherweight champion who was moving up in weight. Foster made the 130 lb. limit without issue, but Fulton weighed in at 132 lbs, two pounds over the junior lightweight maximum. Following a request from Premier Boxing Champions, the WBC dubiously approved the contest to be contested instead for its "interim lightweight title."
So, they rewarded Fulton's having failed to make 130 lb. and allowed the bout proceed Still, that now has a consequence of Fulton being forced to admit that can't make his featherweight belt limit any longer and Friday resulted in the Philly native vacating his WBC 126 lb. championship.
Friday's decision by Foster avoided another complicated mess has now been avoided at lightweight for the WBC.
The WBC had a potentially embarrassing predicament and possible legal consequences for having just days before sanctioned a different fight for the interim lightweight title. At their annual convention the WBC announced it had already approved a fight between Jadier Herrera (17-0, 15 KOs) and Ricardo Nunez (26-7, 22 KOs) for the same interim 135 lb. belt. And, without question that situation would have created a significant conflict had Foster chosen to retain the lighteight title.
With Foster vacating the interim championship, Herrera–Nunez will now officially be contested for the WBC's belt, when they face off on the Queensberry Promotions card headlined by WBC interim heavyweight titleholder Agit Kabayel against Damian Knyba on January 10th on DAZN in Oberhausen, Germany.
The WBC's full lightweight world champ is Shakur Stevenson, who beat the organization's #1 ranked contender, William Zepeda by easy decision in his lat fight in July. Stevenson is moving to challenge Teofimo Lopez for the WBO 140 lb. crown at Madison Square Garden in NYC on January 31st. And, if he wins it's likely that Stevenson will stay at junior welterweight.
Thus the Herrera-Nunez winner could be elevated to full lightweight champ by the WBC.