O’Shaquie Foster Pertahankan Gelar WBC Melawan Raymond Ford di Houston

Juara dunia kelas super bulu WBC O'Shaquie Foster dijadwalkan mempertahankan gelarnya melawan mantan juara kelas bulu WBA Raymond Ford di Fertitta Center, Houston, Texas, pada Sabtu, 30 Mei 2026.

Pertarungan utama yang penuh rivalitas sengit ini akan disiarkan secara eksklusif melalui layanan streaming berbayar DAZN mulai pukul 8 malam waktu setempat. Dilansir dari Sportsnaut, promotor menyediakan paket berlangganan bulanan dan tahunan bagi para penonton untuk menyaksikan laga tersebut.

Foster yang kini berusia 32 tahun memiliki rekor profesional 24-3 dengan 12 kemenangan knockout sejak memulai karier pada 2012 setelah melewati 100 laga amatir. Pemegang sabuk juara asal Orange, Texas tersebut tercatat telah melakoni lebih dari 180 ronde dan memenangkan laga-laga elit termasuk melawan Stephen Fulton serta Robson Conceicao.

Pertarungan ini memicu ketegangan setelah kedua petinju saling melontarkan pernyataan tajam selama masa promosi jelang laga 12 ronde di kelas 130 pon tersebut. Foster menegaskan bahwa duel ini merupakan pertahanan sukarela dan ia sama sekali tidak menghindari tantangan dari pihak penantang.

"Those guys is not on my level – the ones he was having trouble with," kata Raymond Ford kepada BoxingScene.

Ford menilai lawan-lawan terdahulu Foster tidak memiliki kecerdasan bertarung yang cukup baik untuk menyelesaikan pertandingan hingga selesai karena sering kali menjadi malas atau ceroboh. Petinju berusia 27 tahun asal Camden, New Jersey tersebut mengklaim dirinya jauh lebih disiplin dibandingkan petinju lain yang pernah dihadapi sang juara bertahan.

"That [against Fulton] was the best of his career for sure. The only problem with that is it’s not good enough for me. That performance is not good enough to beat me. Me and his last fight is two different fighters. I’m not gonna approach the fight the same way [Foster] approached it. His last fight he came in there and he didn’t try to make no adjustments and there wasn’t no urge. ‘I’m okay with how the fight is going – this is just how it’s going to end up.’ Me, it’s different. We’re just two different fighters. That way that he beat him is not gonna get it done." ujar Raymond Ford.

Ford mengakui pukulan jab dan pergerakan kaki merupakan kekuatan terbesar Foster saat di atas ring. Namun, ia merasa mantan lawannya di kelas bulu jauh lebih tangguh daripada sang pemilik sabuk WBC saat ini.

"He’s decent. He’s a good boxer. But I feel like the best [I’ve fought] so far is Otabek Kholmatov. He’s better than O’Shaquie, in my opinion. He was bigger [than me]; he was stronger; he was more awkward, and he had a better boxing IQ than I thought." lanjut Raymond Ford.

Ford memenangkan gelar kelas bulu junior WBA saat mengalahkan Kholmatov pada 2024 sebelum kehilangan sabuk itu dari Nick Ball dalam pertahanan pertama. Pindah ke kelas berat yang lebih tinggi diakui membuat tubuhnya jauh lebih nyaman dan bertenaga tanpa menguras fisik saat pekan pertandingan.

"I’m a way better fighter because I’m more comfortable," tegas Raymond Ford.

"I’m just a different fighter all around since I moved up, and it’s gonna show. I’m gonna show it." tutur Raymond Ford.

Ford menyatakan pergantian tim nutrisi dan penyesuaian selama pemusatan latihan membuat tingkat kepercayaan dirinya tetap berada di angka 1.000 persen. Kekalahan dari Nick Ball di masa lalu diklaim tidak mengganggu pikiran atau merusak mental bertarungnya sama sekali.

"I don’t really think it changed me much as a fighter. I’ve been the truth; I’m always gonna be the truth; I don’t think it really changed me much. It didn’t change my confidence level; I still believe in myself 1,000 per cent. I still carry myself the same. I don’t really think there’s much of a change. I’m just at a more comfortable weight class. I can feel like myself; I ain’t doing too much, fight week; I ain’t harming my body. I can feel good going into these fights." papar Raymond Ford.

Ford merasa orang-orang sengaja terus mengungkit kekalahan tersebut untuk menjatuhkan mentalnya di dalam ring. Meskipun Foster dianggap memiliki kemampuan teknis yang lebih baik dibanding Nick Ball, Ford yakin pertarungan akhir pekan ini tidak akan berjalan lebih berat.

"I don’t think about [that defeat] at all. A lot of people want me to think about it; they’re frustrated I don’t think about it. I play it like I don’t care about the loss – which I really don’t. It don’t bother me. I haven’t lost sleep at night thinking about that loss, ever. Not once. People are bothered ‘cause I seem so unbothered about it. It doesn’t hurt my confidence; I carry myself the same way. If anything I got more confidence – I started talking more shit. I don’t think it really hurt me in any way." ungkap Raymond Ford.

"That’s the only thing they can talk about. That’s the only thing they bring up. Anytime – any chance they get, they bring it up. They try to get that instilled into my head. ‘You lost to Nick Ball; someone who’s 5ft-whatever.’ They try to make me feel bad about myself for taking that loss, but I know who I am at heart. Can’t nobody make me feel no type of way. I know who I am." tambah Raymond Ford.

Ford memprediksi masyarakat Texas akan memberikan dukungan penuh kepada Foster sebagai sesama warga lokal dalam laga nanti. Namun, ia optimistis penonton tuan rumah akan berbalik menyukai dirinya setelah pertarungan usai.

"Skill-wise, I believe [Foster is better than Ball]. But I don’t think he will be tougher – especially the circumstances I was under. I don’t think it'll be a tougher fight." jelas Raymond Ford.

"Texas gonna support they own," ucap Raymond Ford.

"He from Orange [in Texas]. But Texas people, they gonna support their own, and it’s all good, but after the fight they’re gonna love me." kata Raymond Ford.

"I don’t really pay attention to the crowd when I’m fighting – I just" pungkas Raymond Ford.

Di sisi lain, Foster merasa pernyataan-pernyataan Ford selama sesi konferensi pers promosi laga sangat tidak masuk akal. Berbicara kepada The Ring, sang juara bertahan menilai sang penantang nomor dua WBC tersebut perlu diberi pelajaran tentang kerendahan hati.

"I’m just ready to shut little dude up," cetus O'Shaquie Foster kepada The Ring.

"He makes no sense. It’s time to shut him up and humble him, put him back down to where he need to be." sambung O'Shaquie Foster.

Foster menjelaskan keputusan menghadapi Ford diambil karena duel ini lebih menjual secara nilai ekonomi dibanding melawan penantang nomor satu, Michael Magnesi dari Italia. Ia juga membantah narasi dari promotor Eddie Hearn yang menyebut dirinya sempat menghindari Ford pada Agustus tahun lalu.

"I don’t know, I’m starting to think he don’t got it all," tuding O'Shaquie Foster.

"I’m just being serious, because even his promoter [Eddie Hearn] told him on stage at the press conference that [I’m] right, that [I] didn’t have to take this fight. So, I don’t get where he be coming from, with the stuff he be saying. It literally makes no sense, but I think he got a key in his back, so he trying to find any way to make it seem like I been ducking him, to push a narrative or whatever. But it just don’t make no sense. Nobody sees it." urai O'Shaquie Foster.

Foster mengungkapkan pihak Ford menghubunginya hanya tiga minggu sebelum jadwal duel di Arab Saudi saat Ford akhirnya melawan Abraham Nova. Menurutnya, tawaran mendadak itu menunjukkan pihak lawan tidak serius dan hanya ingin memanfaatkan masa pemusatan latihan yang pendek.

"They said I ducked him in August when he fought [Abraham] Nova," sebut O'Shaquie Foster.

"but they called me three weeks ahead and they’re saying they called Nova five weeks ahead. So, it just don’t make no sense. I don’t get it." timpal O'Shaquie Foster.

Saat tawaran itu datang, Foster menegaskan dirinya sudah menandatangani kontrak resmi untuk menghadapi Stephen Fulton yang merupakan petinju ortodoks. Mengubah strategi untuk melawan petinju kidal seperti Ford dalam waktu singkat dinilai tidak ideal bagi persiapannya.

"If I got a contract that’s signed for a fight already," beber O'Shaquie Foster.

"and that fight falls through as far as the main event, not me and that fighter because me and Fulton didn’t get hurt, of course the date is gonna get moved back a little bit. But y’all called the champion three weeks ahead of time to come to Saudi Arabia to fight you – it just showed that you’re not serious. First off, you’re not confident in catching me at my full potential. You were trying to catch me when I had a short camp or something." kilih O'Shaquie Foster.

"Because I’m fighting Fulton and he’s orthodox, so why would I take a fight with you, when you’re a southpaw? I would have to switch up my whole sparring [schedule] and that would only give me two weeks to spar and get prepared. I think they was trying to catch me when I didn’t have as much time to get ready. … His team is not as confident as they’re trying to make it seem and they was trying to catch me at a bad time, basically. That’s it." tutup O'Shaquie Foster.

Selain partai utama Foster melawan Ford di kelas super bulu, Fertitta Center juga akan mementaskan tujuh pertandingan pembuka lainnya. Laga-laga tersebut di antaranya mempertemukan Charlie Sheehy melawan Jaret Gonzalez serta Omari Jones menghadapi Diego Osuna Zuniga.