WBC super featherweight champion O’Shaquie ‘Ice Water’ Foster 21-2 (12) retained his world championship in emphatic fashion against Eduardo ‘Rocky’ Hernandez 34-2 (21) but not before being pushed to the brink of defeat at Poliforum Benito Juarez in Cancun, Mexico on Saturday night live on DAZN.
Hernandez brought the pressure in the early rounds as he looked to walk down Foster and throw his short, hard shots on the inside. The champion was content to use as much of the ring as possible to avoid the incoming blows while occasionally landing a pot shot of his own.
According to CompuBox, Foster failed to connect with punches in the double digits through the first five rounds.
Hernandez had never been past the sixth round and if Foster’s corner expected the 25-year-old Mexican challenger to wilt in the back half of the fight, they were sorely mistaken.
In the eighth and ninth rounds when Hernandez’s work rate dropped off, Foster worked his way back into the fight.
Hernandez roared back to life in the 10th but Foster went with him in the 11th, even hurting him at one stage, but he still knew he needed something big to close the show.
“My coaches were telling me that I was down [on the scorecards] after the eighth round,” said Foster, who was trailing 80-72 and 78-73 on two of the cards with four rounds to go while the third judge had it even.
“Rocky’s a hell of a fighter, a hell of a puncher, I had to dig deep. Round 11, when I hurt him, I knew I had him. I knew in the 12th round I could catch him.”
And catch him he did, with a big right hand that shook Hernandez to his boots. There was still plenty of time on the clock and Foster went to work, battering his opponent to the canvas.
Hernandez beat the count again but didn’t last much longer with the referee stepping in to save him at the 2:38 mark.
Foster, 30, of Houston, Texas has made it clear he wants to unify the sanctioning body titles at 130-pounds starting with IBF champion Joe Cordina 16-0 (9) who defends his strap against Edward Vazquez 15-1 (3) at Casino de Monte Carlo Salle Medecin in Monte Carlo, Monaco on November 4.
“I want the winner of Cordina and Edward next week,” Foster said. “I’ve proven I’ll go anywhere. The ring don’t change.”
Before the fight Foster said boxing fans had only seen a fraction of what he is capable of.
“The fight excites me because I’m getting back in the ring, I’m finally fighting twice in one year and we’re going to his home patch,” said Foster.
“I think people have only seen 50 per cent of me, there’s still a whole other side of my game that they haven’t seen yet, but that’s what I plan on putting out there.
