O’Shaquie Foster, who is hungry for big fights in the junior lightweight division, needs to shine in Conceicao first

NEWARK, NJ — O’Shaquie Foster understands that making a title defense on ESPN means more than just building a record. It’s also an audition for the kind of big opportunities he hopes the WBC junior lightweight title will give him.

Foster, 30, (22-2, 12 knockouts) will make the third defense of his 130-pound title this Saturday (ESPN, 9pm EST) against Brazilian contender Robson Conceicao at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. This fight, which will be in support of local favorite Shakur Stevenson defending his WBC lightweight title against Artem Harutyunyan, is one he will not miss. Not just because of the risks presented by a three-time winner, but because of the rewards that a great game can bring.

“I’m certainly not looking past Robson Conceicao. He’s the number one guy in my mind, I don’t worry about anyone else,” said Foster, a native of Orange, Texas, though that doesn’t stop him from envisioning the consolidation opportunities he’s dreamed of since winning the vacant title. In February of 2023 against Rey Vargas.

He has made no secret that he wants to fight WBA champion Lamont Roach, who just defended his first defense last week in Washington DC, and Anthony Cacace, the IBF champion who stunned Joe Cordina in eight rounds in May to lift the belt. However, it’s not just about what he wants. He should make the public want those wars too.

“In a perfect world I would like the following guys. I wish I had found Lamont. We just fought a week apart so obviously we could have done this fight but I think he had other plans. We’ll come back to that later, but definitely Anthony Cacacace, the one who just beat Cordina, all those guys. I’d like to fight them all for sure,” Foster said.

Foster’s manager, Keith Mills, who started working with “Shock” in 2016, says that his job to fight for his client will not be easy, but he admits that Foster can help him by handling the striker who has proven himself to be a hero. a tough night for the previous title holders he faced.

“It’s very tempting when Shock goes in there and it’s just Shock. That’s all we need him to be. Be alone and look good doing it. It’s very easy to make those big fights, we want the kind of money we want and then we put in those big plans we want,” said Mills.

“After we went through him, we actually sat down with Top Rank at that time because they know what we want. We’re looking for big fights, we’re looking to push Shock forward just so the world can see what he’s capable of and we want to do this on a big stage. The 130-pound division is starting to move and you’re starting to see the pretenders get eliminated. But the boys who are there, we believe that they are willing to fight big battles.”

First Foster is scheduled to face Conceicao (18-2-1, 9 KOs), a 35-year-old from Salvador, Brazil who is coming off a seventh-round knockout of Jose Ivan Guardado Ortiz in April. The 2016 Olympic gold medalist has failed in his three previous title challenges against Oscar Valdez, Stevenson and Emanuel Navarrete, although his no-nonsense mentality against Navarrete enabled him to come back from two contests to salvage a draw in their fight last November. .

Foster says this fight is an opportunity to show that he is above these other champions, and to build excitement for the kind of opportunities he is looking forward to.

“He has a lot of experience being a gold medalist, and I think he has heart and he doesn’t give up. That’s why I think you stay in these tough battles. He keeps getting second chances and I think I am his fourth chance. He comes to fight and does not back down. I think that’s the biggest thing for him. But I plan to go in there and get it for him,” said Foster.

“He fought all the top guys so it gives me a chance to differentiate myself and show the fans that I’m different.”

Foster had a similar opportunity in his last defense, a split decision win over Abraham Nova in February that Foster admitted afterward was a disappointing outing. This fight was Foster’s first since signing with Top Rank. He says he was hampered by a severe weight cut and plantar fasciitis that limited the hitter’s ability to move. He added that it was his first time dealing with an injury, and it was a challenge for him to overcome mentally and physically.

“It’s fully healed so I’m really excited to bring back that different part of my fighting style. I’ve never been the guy to just sit in front of these guys and trade, I’ve always looked at boxing as a dance. “Being able to move freely and not feel pain, I feel better,” said Foster.

Now, he says, this is his second chance at the first. He also hopes it leaves fans – and promoters – wanting to see him on the big stage.

“It would be better if I was stopped. “Even if I go twelve rounds and win by unanimous decision or close from the inside, I definitely plan to come out and separate myself from the guys he’s been fighting with,” said Foster.

Ryan Songalia has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler and The Guardian, and is part of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism Class of 2020. He can be reached at [email protected].