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O'Shaquie Foster Explains Why Shakur Stevenson Fight Must Happen

Foster says the animosity is there.
Terrance Biggs|
Shakur Stevenson
Shakur Stevenson | IMAGO / Torsten Helmke

In the South, there is a saying, "closed mouths do not get fed." In essence, the louder you are and the more attention you draw, the more likely you are to get what you wish.

Basically, modern boxing is predicated on this. With each sanctioning body maintaining its own rankings, finding big fights can be tough, especially if you are not what the casual boxing fan knows your career to be.

Despite being the WBC super lightweight champion, O'Shaquie Foster's name resides in the relative shadows, obscured by bigger names in the surrounding weight classes. While respect and recognition matter, Foster sees Shakur Stevenson (25-0, 11 KO) as a legacy-defining opponent who could force people to pay attention.

Shakur Stevenson
IMAGO / Torsten Helmke

Foster says the Stevenson fight must happen

“I should be top 10. I should be top 10 for sure," Foster told BoxingScene If you look at my last five, six fights and you look at any of these other guys that’s top 10, you can see my resume, it’s just crazy."

Foster's last three opponents — Raymond Ford, Stephen Fulton, Robson Conceicao — are all former world champions. He outpointed all of them. On the strength of that alone, that should grant at least an audience with the thought of fighting Stevenson. Later, he discussed his resume.

"From the different caliber fighters, I went from Rey Vargas, which was a six-foot guy, undefeated, two-division champion. I beat him. Then I went to Rocky [Eduardo Hernandez], small, power puncher, straight forward. I knocked him out. [Abraham] Nova, [Robson] Conceicao, I was robbed the first fight [won the rematch]. Then Stephen Fulton and then Ray Ford."

Stevenson sits at No.3 on Ring Magazine's pound-for-pound list. Foster's name isn't anywhere on the list. To him, that necessitates a fight.

“Oh yeah, for sure,” he said. “We gotta fight. There’s no other way around it. The world wants to see it now, and me and I, we got animosity, so we might as well just let it carry over and get it out of the way. We're trying to make it happen and see what he's talking about. "

If the two fight, Foster will head into the bout with one decided advantage: a four-inch reach advantage. Standing five-foot-eight with a 72-inch reach means jabs can keep Stevenson off guard and disrupt his rhythm. It could be the fight that few discuss, but everyone eventually remembers.

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Terrance Biggs
TERRANCE BIGGS

Terrance is a boxing writer for KO on SI. He's enjoyed over a decade of writing experience, writing for Full Press Coverage, Pro Football Sports Network and Heavy.com, covering both professional and collegiate sports. He is s a member of the Football Writers Association of America and the United States Basketball Writers Association. Terrance also votes on postseason awards like the Biletnikoff, Groza, and Thorpe Awards. Biggs earned his bachelor's degree in Communication from Fort Hays State University. When not writing, he enjoys spending time with his children and his fiancée, along with playing softball.