WBC super featherweight champion O’Shaquie ‘Ice Water’ Foster 20-2 (11) is ready to shine when he defends his world title for the first time against Eduardo ‘Rocky’ Hernandez 34-1 (31) at Poliforum Benito Juarez in Cancun, Mexico on Saturday night.
On a weekend that features little in the way of world class boxing, a dominant performance by the 30-year-old from Houston, Texas will make fans and pundits sit up and take notice.
“The fight excited me because I’m finally fighting twice in one year so I’m able to you know display my talents,” Foster said on the Matchroom Boxing pre-fight feature Behind Closed Doors.
“Second, it’s going to be in his home country you know the eyes going to be against me again his crowd and everything so it’s definitely putting that that key in my back and keeping that chip on my shoulder.
“It’s my first title defence. I feel like this going to be the fight where I can show a lot of my versatility and my style and uh the fans will be able to see it from a different network. I never fought on DAZN so excited about it.”
Foster delivered a boxing lesson to previously undefeated two-weight world champion Rey Vargas 36-1 (22) in his title winning effort last time out, thoroughly outboxing the Mexican to win by scores of 117-111, 119-109 and 116-112 in San Antonio in February.
Now on a 10 fight win streak dating back seven years, Foster is ready to keep his streak alive.
“It’s one of them things where I know a lot is against me,” said Foster, who trains out of the Main Street Gym in downtown Houston. “It ain’t going to be easy. I’m ready, I already knew what the circumstances was going to be when I did win the title so you know I’m just ready to go prove myself.”
Mexican puncher Hernandez, 25, will be looking to upset the applecart. He has never been past six rounds and is expected to be explosive and dangerous early.
“It’s a fight that excites me because I’ve been looking forward to it since I was a child, since I started boxing,” Hernandez said. “I wanted to fight a world championship. Today is now a reality and October 28 I’ll put an end to it.
“O’Shaquie Foster is a difficult rival, but not impossible. I’ve always respected the other fighter, but I respect myself more, that’s why I’m winning this 28 of October.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn is high on both boxers.
“I love this young man Rocky Hernandez,” said the Matchroom Boxing boss. “He’s so humble, he’s a real gentleman and inside the ring he’s an absolute animal.
“O’Shaquie Foster is a massively underrated fighter, tremendous skillset. This is going to be a war in Cancun.”
Foster isn’t sure how the fight will end other than that he will have his hand raised when it’s over.
“I don’t know how, it could be a late stoppage or he might get clipped out early if he runs into the wrong thing,” Foster said. “Either way I’m going to shock the world by getting the win, that’s all I can say.”
