After the reporting of this story, on May 6th, O'Shaquie Foster announced via his social media accounts that he is now a promotional free agent.
In February the Texas native O’Sh
Immediately after Joe Cordina defeated Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov to become a two-time IBF super featherweight champion – after Cordina was unfairly stripped of his title last November – Foster declared that he is willing to fight the new IBF super featherweight world champion.
Foster, who is one of two prize fighters trained by one of the best coaches in boxing, Bobby Benton, and now become the second world champion in Benton’s stable – Regis Prograis is the other. Foster let it be known he has no problems with going to the UK to make this fight happen. In short, Foster will not be the obstacle in making a unification fight with Cordina
“I would go over there and take his belt, bring it back [to the United States],” he said. “I think it’d be [a great atmosphere]. I think it’d be crazy. The UK got their [great] fans, you know; the fans are loyal, they show up for their fighters. So I think I think it’d be huge and he ain’t my only target. I want [Cordina] or [Hector Luis] Garcia – either one [of them or] whoever can come first.”
It has never been a talent that has limited the gifted Foster, but rather his mindset. He has had some struggles outside of the ring and reflects on how his personal growth led to him becoming a world champion, as Benton explains.
“The only person who is going to beat him is him,” Benton said. “You know when he’s not focused, [that how you explain] those two losses – since he’s been with us he’s been focused. Locked in. There’s never been a time in the gym where he’s not focused. Right after his loss with [Rolando] Chinea, [he started training with Benton] so after his last loss, and then he came to the gym.
“It was probably a year after that, but he came to the gym and we talked, and I've been knowing him since he was eight years old, so it was not like I just met him. Actually, Aaron, our cut man, and trainer Aaron Navarro has been with him every single fight. When he came to the gym, he was like, ‘Look, I want to do this’, and his attitude was way better. Everything changed about him.”
Foster's well-documented incarceration in Orange, Texas in 2017, was a major turning point in his life. Foster explained his change in attitude as well.
“My mind state used to be a lot different,” he explained. “I used to [not be] worried about training hard. I always had the skill. So really training and stuff wasn’t really my mind, it was not something else. Just my whole mentality was just trying to be ‘Big gangster’, you know, trying to protect my people in the streets.
“Just having all kinds of stuff going on. It was just like nobody figured like, he'll [be able to] focus on boxing. You know, when I came to Bobby [I explained myself right off the bat], and I started back training. I just told myself before I [am going to give it everything I have] not halfway do it this time. We’re gonna do it, 150 percent. You know, and that's what we did.”
