WBC super featherweight champion O’Shaquie ‘Shock’ Foster 22-2 (12) had to dig deep to secure a split decision victory over Abraham ‘El Super’ Nova 23-2 (16) at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York on Friday night.
Puerto Rican-born New Yorker Nova, 30, started the fight well as he pressured Foster and forced him onto the back foot. That tactic worked well enough through four rounds, but by the middle stages of the fight the 30-year-old Foster from Houston, Texas began to time him with sharp shots.
Nova got more ragged as the rounds progressed, due in equal parts to his early output and the effects of Foster’s blows. Still, it looked a close fight going into the championship rounds, which is when Foster pulled away.
In the final round of the contest Foster dropped Nova with a left hook as he lunged in, putting an exclamation point on another thrilling contest following his Fight of the Year contender against Eduardo ‘Rocky’ Hernandez 34-2 (31) that saw him score a come-from-behind 12th round knockout last October.
Judges Mark Consentino and Kevin Morgan tabbed Foster the winner by scores of 115-112 and 116-111 respectively, while judge John McKaie thought Nova had done enough to squeak out the win 114-113.
After the fight Foster admitted it wasn’t his best performance.
“I don’t want to make any excuses, but when I went to throw a right hand his elbow hit the middle of my bicep, so it kind of tightened my stuff up. But it’s all good,” said Foster, who claimed the vacant WBC belt with a unanimous decision victory over Rey Vargas 36-1 (22) one year ago.
“My rhythm was off tonight. It’s all good. We came home with the win, so I can’t complain. I’m a 12-round fighter and I know how to make adjustments throughout the fight. So, he came on strong in the beginning, but I found my rhythm and his timing and then I started picking it off.”
Foster added that he had struggled to make weight in camp this time around and that he planned to use a nutritionist going forward.
Next up Foster wants a unification bout, or at the very least one of the top names in the 130-pound division.
“[Emanuel] Navarrete is busy. I’ll take on Lamont Roach Jr or the winner of Oscar Valdez-Liam Wilson,” he said.
Nova was gracious in defeat and said the close nature of the bout proved he belongs at the world level.
“O’Shaquie is a great fighter,” Nova said. “He did hit me, but I did slip [in the 12th round]. I lost my balance. I wasn’t hurt. The fight would have been a draw if that hadn’t happened. This is boxing. I know they probably think I wasn’t that good. But you guys see I’m a great fighter.
“Hopefully you guys can see me here again. I’m a world class contender. O’Shaquie, we can run it back. Let’s do it again. If not, I can fight Navarrete or anybody.”
