Foster outclasses Ford by majority decision to retain WBC junior lightweight title,

Shakur Stevenson eyes Foster next after impressive performance. O’Shaquie Foster turned in a masterclass to settle his grudge match with Raymond Ford, retaining the WBC junior lightweight title by majority decision Saturday night at the Fertitta Center in Houston, Texas. The 130-pound champion frustrated Ford from the opening bell, using sharp footwork, a crisp jab and pinpoint combination punching to neutralize the challenger’s power. One judge inexplicably scored the fight a 114-114 draw, but Foster was firmly in control on the other two cards, which read 118-110 and 116-112 in his favor. Foster, a Houston native, fought with poise and discipline despite an occasionally heated build-up. He consistently beat Ford to the punch, made him miss, and backed him to the ropes with rapid flurries. Ford had moments of success with his right hand, but was largely reduced to a one-dimensional attacker, unable to cut off the ring or sustain pressure against Foster’s movement. The action intensified in the middle rounds, with Foster landing eye-catching three- and four-punch salvos while slipping out of danger. By the seventh, Ford’s frustration was evident as he dropped his hands, trying to bait Foster into a firefight that never came. Foster remained committed to boxing, refusing to abandon his game plan even when Ford landed heavier single shots. After the final bell, Foster’s exchange with ringside lightweight star Shakur Stevenson — a close friend of Ford — only added fuel to his post-fight callout. Foster made it clear he wants a career-defining clash at 140 pounds next, targeting the division’s elite. For Ford, the loss was a humbling lesson. His aggression and power were no match for Foster’s craft, and the challenger may look back on his tactics as too predictable against a champion operating at the peak of his powers. With the victory, Foster reaffirmed his status as the premier junior lightweight in the world and set his sights on even bigger fights to come. (Photo credit: The Ring Magazine)

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