Stephen Fulton Jr. and O’Shaquie Foster Set to Clash in San Antonio
A highly anticipated matchup between Stephen Fulton Jr. and O’Shaquie Foster is still on track to take place on Saturday in San Antonio, but the stakes have changed slightly. Initially, the two fighters were set to compete for Foster’s WBC junior lightweight title, but due to Fulton’s weight issues, the title will no longer be on the line.
Fulton, who was moving up from the featherweight division to challenge Foster, weighed in at 132 pounds on Friday, two pounds over the 130-pound junior lightweight limit. This meant that even if Foster were to successfully defend his title, he would have retained the belt, but if Fulton were to win, the title would have been declared vacant. However, in a surprising turn of events, the WBC stepped in and sanctioned the matchup as an interim lightweight title bout at 135 pounds, effectively bailing Fulton out of his earlier weight miss.
WBC’s Decision and Its Implications
The WBC’s decision has significant implications for both fighters. The winner of the bout will become the mandatory challenger for Shakur Stevenson’s WBC title, which is a significant opportunity for both Fulton and Foster. Stevenson, who is set to face Teofimo Lopez for the WBO junior welterweight title on January 31 in New York, will likely be keeping a close eye on the outcome of this matchup. According to ESPN, Stevenson’s move up in weight has created a ripple effect in the lightweight division, and the winner of this bout will be well-positioned to take advantage of the situation.
Fulton, 31, won the WBC featherweight championship in February and elected to move straight up to face Foster. The bout was originally scheduled to take place on the undercard of an event headlined by Sebastian Fundora and Keith Thurman on October 25 but was postponed to December after Fundora canceled the event with a hand injury. As reported by Boxing Scene, Fulton’s decision to move up in weight was seen as a bold move, and his ability to adapt to the new weight class will be closely watched.
Undercard and Other Matchups
The event, which will take place inside Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, features an exciting undercard, including an interim WBC junior welterweight matchup between Isaac Cruz and Lamont Roach Jr. Cruz came in at 138.6 pounds at Friday’s weigh-in, while Roach tipped the scales at 139.6. The card also features Erislandy Lara’s WBA middleweight title defense against Johan Gonzalez, who stepped in on short notice this week after Janibek Alimkhanuly, the WBO and IBF champion, failed a drug test and was pulled from the scheduled unification bout against Lara.
As noted by The Ring, Gonzalez’s ability to make weight on short notice is a testament to his professionalism, and his matchup against Lara promises to be an exciting one. With the changes to the main event, this bout has taken on added significance, and fans will be eagerly watching to see how the situation unfolds. For more information on the event, including the full fight card and weigh-in results, visit Boxing News 24.
