O’Shaquie Foster: Stephen Fulton has 'slowed down' since Inoue TKO — 'He lost something'

O’Shaquie Foster’s life — and boxing career — has been underpinned by resilience and proving naysayers wrong.

Just over eight years ago, Foster was behind bars in his hometown of Orange, Texas, seemingly destined for a life spent staring into the cracked, discolored mirror, with only his reflection for company. While serving four months in a correctional facility, Hurricane Harvey simultaneously ripped through his community, leaving very little for him to return to. But out of this darkness came a spark of defiance.

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Alongside his inmates, surrounding a modestly-sized television, Foster (23-3, 12 KOs) witnessed Terence Crawford beat Julius Indongo for the undisputed light welterweight crown — and, from that moment on, was adamant he was going to achieve his own greatness in the sport of boxing.

“It hit me there and then — I wasn’t going to let a few bad decisions waste my potential,” he told Uncrowned upon the imminent announcement of his Aug. 16 WBC super featherweight title defense against Stephen Fulton (23-1, 8 KOs).

This PBC card, headed to Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena, will be headlined by the much-anticipated rematch between Gervonta "Tank" Davis and Lamont Roach Jr. for the WBA lightweight title.

“I was so close to ruining my life beyond repair,” Foster said. “So from that moment, I knew that I was going to have to make changes.”

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And that he did.

Sitting on a 10-2 pro record, Foster packed up his bags and moved more than 100 miles to Houston, where he began building the foundations for a better future. Bobby Benton took the reins as his head coach, and so began a winning streak of 10 fights that took the now 31-year-old to his maiden world title in the 130-pound division with a 2023 triumph over Rey Vargas.

Since then Foster has gone 3-1 in title fights, beating Eduardo Hernandez, Abraham Nova and splitting decisions with Robson Conceicao — but the man monikered “Ice Water” believes that his next test will be the biggest of his career to date.

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“This is a massive opportunity for me,” he said. “I have always had the grand plan to become a star of the sport, and I believe that taking this fight against Fulton is the next step along that path.

“We had a few other options — including a champion at 135 pounds — but this is the one that felt right. It’s my time to break out from the shadows of the sport and become one of the names that people know outside of the game. In my mind, I am coming into this fight looking to steal the show away from ‘Tank’ and Roach.”

Foster is so laid back he is practically horizontal. His infectious smile penetrates the mystique of his hooded appearance and he speaks with a maturity that you might not have expected even just a few years ago. He self-reflects on the stigma that has attached his career to date, eager to use it as fuel to motivate him as he starts the 27th camp of his pro career.

“I definitely think I am one of the most entertaining fighters, no matter how people want to judge me,” he said. “And I have shown I am one of the biggest punchers around my weight class, too. I have hurt everyone that has stepped in the ring with me, so that says all you need to know.

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“People can label me whatever they want; some fights I’ll give you offense first, other times I’ll be relying on my defense, so people can say whatever. It’s always going to change fight to fight, as the sport is about being able to adapt. Certain parts of my game definitely get overlooked though — I have noticed that more and more.

“My career, and life, has been about fighting through adversity, and you could see that in my fights with Robson Conceicao. Everyone knows that I was robbed in that first fight, but I got straight back in there with him and ripped my title back. I was fighting through injury too; I had two strained triceps and tendonitis in my left arm, but no way was I going to let that stop me getting into the ring with him.

“[Conceicao] was one of the most awkward fighters I have ever been in with, so avenging that result proved what I am able to fight through and overcome.”

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Philadelphia's “Cool Boy Steph" is next up for Foster. With Fulton looking to build on back-to-back wins since a humbling eighth-round TKO loss to Naoya Inoue in 2023, he'll scale the heights of the super featherweight division for the first time since turning pro in 2014.

“I’ve been keeping my eye on Fulton for a minute now, especially when he was at 122 [pounds] making noise,” said Foster. “Listen, he’s a great fighter and he’s got good skills. He’s not one of these fighters that comes in with any fear or anything, and he’s solid all around.

“He’s very resilient. But he lost something in that loss to Inoue. He’s a totally different fighter now; slower hands, slower feet. That’s just my opinion. Some fights you go through and it takes some years off of you — I am not sure if it’s because he moved up, but since that loss he’s slowed down for sure.

“It’s a big jump for him," Foster continued. "He moved up from 122 [pounds] to 126 to fight [Brandon] Figueroa, but [Figueroa] was the guy that he fought at 122 as well, so it wasn’t like he was moving up to fight a naturally much bigger dude.

“I’m looking at it like this: He’s moved up to 126 to fight once against a fully-fledged guy [Carlos Castro], now he’s coming up to fight a big 130-pounder in myself, with speed, power, experience at the weight, and that’s ultimately going to be too much for him. Everything is different up here.

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“A few years ago he was talking about missing 126 and jumping straight up to 130, and at that point I let him know that I would welcome him up to the weight class. So the fight has always been there. I respect him for taking the fight though, it takes guts.”

Foster doesn’t expect too much back-and-forth with Fulton himself as they build toward Aug. 16, but Fulton's trainer Derek Ennis, known as "Bozy," is someone Foster believes is out to disrespect him at every turn.

“‘Bozy’ has never rated me for some reason,” Foster said. “He has always had the opinion that I am no good — always picking my opponents to beat me and stuff like that. I’ve never met the guy, so I don’t know where it’s all come from. It gives me a point to prove though. He’s said a few things in the past that I might have to bring up in the press conference, so if they want to bring it, then we’ll be waiting.

“The thing is, I’ve been underestimated my whole career. It’s been something I’ve just gotten used to. It’s probably because of my record and how my career has taken it’s ups and downs, but it is what it is.”

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It’s often a thankless task quizzing fighters on future moves, but Foster is candid enough to admit looking to the future.

“After Fulton, I am targeting the winner of 'Tank' vs. Roach," he said. "We are the co-main, so there will be a lot of eyes on us. Either that or Shakur [Stevenson], these are the two fights that I want. I can move up to 135 and be Stevenson’s mandatory straight away.

“It’s time to make these fights now,” he concluded. “If I get given the opportunity, I’ll call ‘em all out, I have no problem with that at all.”