Ford lost the title to Nick Ball in a split decision in 2024, then moved up and continued working. Wins over Orlando Gonzalez, Thomas Mattice and Abraham Nova didn’t make headlines, but they showed he could handle the weight and keep a steady pace over 10 rounds.
From a legacy and career-momentum standpoint, it’s a lateral move for Foster that underscores his recent frustrations with his battle with Ford.
After Foster dismantled Stephen Fulton, the path to a Shakur Stevenson fight at 135 seemed clear. By vacating that interim belt, Foster effectively signaled he wasn’t ready to force that issue, and Shakur has since moved on to larger unification talks.
Raymond Ford is a respected name, but he’s essentially a featherweight still acclimating to 130. For Foster, this fight serves some specific, albeit unambitious, purposes.
Holding the WBC 130lb belt, he retains his champion status. Had he stayed at 135 and lost to a mandatory or a shark like Stevenson, he would have been a contender again. At 130, he is still the king of his mountain.
The Ford fight in Houston is clearly an attempt to build on his hometown hero status, but if he struggles with Ford, who, as we’ve discussed, is a relentless finisher, the decision to avoid WBC interim lightweight champion Jadier Herrera will look even worse. If you’re going to avoid a knockout artist, you better dominate the “safer” option.
Knocking out Stephen Fulton last December should have been his springboard to the massive fights at Lightweight against the likes of Shakur Stevenson or Gervonta Davis. Instead, he’s back to defend a belt he’s already lost and won back.
Boxing fans have long memories. Giving up a belt specifically to avoid a mandatory like Herrera is a label that sticks regardless of how “smart” the business move is.
Foster-Ford is a good matchup if you want to see high-level technical boxing, but it’s a disappointing matchup for fans who wanted to see Foster build on the Fulton masterclass. He is essentially treading water at junior lightweight while the massive opportunities at lightweight are passing him by.
If he doesn’t dominate Ford, the narrative that he “shot himself in the foot” by dropping 135 will only get louder.
