O’Shaquie Foster has opted to vacate his WBC interim lightweight title to return to 130 to retain his belt in that weight class.
Shakur never went to fight him
It’s a move that makes sense for Foster (24-3, 12 KOs), as he’s not going to get a crack at WBC 135-lb champion Shakur Stevenson. He has already made it clear in social media posts that he has no interest in fighting the highly skilled O’Shaquie in a risky fight.
And Raphael broke the news of Foster who decided to vacate the WBC interim lightweight title and return to super featherweight to continue defending his WBC belt in that weight class.
Zepeda: The nightmare at 135
Sticking with lightweight would put Foster in position to defend the WBC belt against these two:
- William Zepeda
- Core Herrera
It wouldn’t be easy. Those guys are dangerous for different reasons, and Foster could lose to one or both of them because they are pressure fighters. Trying to hold off one of those fighters will be a nightmare for Foster. It doesn’t matter how good a boxer he is. Zepeda would come to him and unload.
Shakur didn’t even try to run away from him in their fight last July. He would have cut off the ring and hit him with body shots as he ran. Getting speared by Zepeda all night made Shakur think twice about moving. So he chose to stand against the ropes and brace for the beats all night. He was still very affected and looked like a mess afterwards with bleeding lips and a swollen face.
Herrera’s power problem for Foster
Cuban Jadier Herrera hits too hard for a defensive fighter like Foster to fight without getting clipped at some point.
Foster captured the WBC interim lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Stephen Fulton on December 6 in San Antonio, Texas. He looked good against Fulton, but he was dealing with what was essentially a bloated featherweight with no power. It would be a different story if Foster were to fight Zepeda or Herrera. These are big lightweights that feast on boxers with no punching power.
With Foster relinquishing the interim WBC title, Herrera and Ricardo Nunez will likely continue with their original plans to fight for that belt.
Shakur chases gold, not danger
The winner will likely be elevated due to Shakur not returning. He won’t want to come back to 135 to fight one of those guys because he’s focused on “business” right now and wants to get the biggest paydays he can.
The taste of money that Shakur got in his last fight against Zepeda on July 12 on Turki Alalshikh’s card in Queens gave him gold fever, making him want more and more. He is like someone who discovered gold in 1848. He seems obsessed with the pursuit of more wealth. Going back to 135 won’t bring Shakur the kind of money he can make fighting at 140 and 147.
Last updated on 12/11/2025
