O’Shaquie Foster’s dream of becoming a world champion seemed unrealistic in the mid-2010s.
The one-time USA amateur star from Texas lost two decisions in four games, to Samuel Teah in 2015 and Rolando Chinea the following year, putting his career at a crossroads.
Well, he was clearly on the right track when things looked bleak at best. He took a 17-month break, revamped his team (he’s currently coached by Bobby Benton) and eliminated distractions by moving from his hometown of Orange to Houston.
Result? He hasn’t lost since the match against Chinea, a race that led to a meeting with Rey Vargas for the vacant 130-pound belt on Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio (Showtime).
That’s not to say his career has gone perfectly – he’s only fought twice since 2019 over a promotion dispute – but he’s exactly where he wants to be at this point.
“I have to work with a team that believes in me, knows me,” Foster told me and Kenneth Bouhairie on Podcasts of PBC. “… It’s really the ultimate, having the right team around, to [realize] my potential.
“… I always knew I had it. It was just circumstance.”
Foster (19-2, 11 KOs) hasn’t been as active as he would have liked in the past few years but he has brought in some notable wins.
The unanimous decisions in 2018 for Frank De Alba and Jon Fernandez undefeated then in his first 10th round and a ninth-round knockout against veteran Miguel Roman in 2020 stand out. He looks like a contender in all those wins.
In other words, he didn’t just get a chance on Saturday.
“I have worked for this moment all my life,” he said. “…For me it was a step-by-step process. I got to Pennsylvania right after I started [again] and fight as faction “B” in [De Alba’s] hometown with his promoter and beat him. Jon Fernandez is said to be this huge monster on ShoBox – he is [16-0, with 14] knockout – and I went and beat him.
“It’s certainly been a step-by-step preparation that prepares me for this moment.”
Of course, Vargas (36-0, 22 KOs) represents a significant step up in the head-to-head even though the Mexican will debut in the 130-pound weight division.
Foster wasn’t too impressed with Vargas’ win over Mark Magsayo to claim the 126-pound belt last June — giving him the title in the second division — as he believes Magsayo is limited. At the same time, as Foster put it, “He got the job done.”
And, yes, he admits that the toughest challenge of his career is just days away.
“Yes, I feel he is the hardest test as he is a two-time world champion. And I’m going to fight for a world title,” Foster said.
At the same time, the 29-year-old seems unfazed by this point. He’s had a lot of important matches in his amateur career, during which he competed in the 2012 US Olympic competitions, and he has endured the ups and downs as a bridge player. professional player for over a decade.
A big fight, even a title fight, won’t faze him.
“I’m ready,” he said. “Words can’t really explain it. It took me a lot to get to this point. I just feel like it is [the] It’s time for me to show the world.”
