Tonight, at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, is the coronation for the best super featherweight boxer in the world. The winner of the unification match between Emanuel “El Vaquero” Navarrete and O’Shaquie “Ice Water” Foster will capture the vacant Ring magazine
super featherweight title along with the respective belts held by each champion the WBO, IBF, and WBC titles.
The winner may also potentially be recognized as the fighter of the year, as both fighters’ accomplishments thus far merit contention; a victory tonight would only reaffirm the designation as this year’s best.
A fight where potentially both can win but must overcome stylistic challenges to capture the victory. For Navarrete (40-2-1, 33 KOs) it’s contending with Foster’s (25-3, 12 KOs) superior technical boxing ability. O’Shaquie’s agility and elusiveness is what Emanuel will most struggle with.
Trainer Pedro Navarrete knows of the challenges saying, “I think every training camp is different because you have to prepare for the opponent in front of you. I think this will be one of the more difficult camps because of Foster’s style, but we’re putting in the work. We have elusive sparring partners helping us prepare for that style so we can go into the fight as well prepared as possible.”
If El Vaquero can close the distance and stay within range of Foster, he’ll be able to attempt and connect one of his most deadliest, the gazelle hook. This punch is difficult to defend because he leaps and lunges into the punch throwing it when the opponent is within range.
It is Emanuel’s awkwardness and unpredictable fighting style that makes him so dangerous to defend against. He must use this to his advantage and use his volume to throw from unconventional and awkward angles to connect against O’Shaquie.
Navarrete may be the strongest puncher Foster has faced in his career and his average output rate of 60 punches per round will present its own difficulties. El Vaquero is most effective offensively utilizing his power punches, he connects at a respectable rate of 34.7 percent (Compubox).
How effective O’Shaquie is in defending Navarrete’s power punches will determine the winner of the match. When asked about Emanuel’s power, Foster said, “I wouldn’t be able to tell until I get in there with him. I faced power punchers…several power punchers. I had Jon Fernandez, Edward…Rocky Hernandez. I faced power punchers man and I’ve always dealt with it great. So, he’s just going to be another guy, he’s just a little more chaotic with it but you know I just gotta stay focused, you can’t trust him. He going to throw from different angles, but…but we’re going to freeze him, though.”
Foster holds the overall edge in this match due to his overall boxing ability and skill but it’s Navarrete’s power and chaotic style that make him so difficult to defend, he will be the bigger stronger fighter come fight night but O’Shaquie will be the faster, more agile boxer who will attempt to outpoint El Vaquero by limiting the exchanges by being precise with his punches.
Navarrete’smethod of victory will be to attempt to time Foster coming in. He’s fought boxers with movement in the past but nothing to the level of O’Shaquie. He had his struggles against Liam Wilson but was ultimately able to connect and score the knockout victory.
Against Denys Berinchyk, he struggled with weight and style, losing by split decision. Foster is on another level in terms of boxing ability and has looked much improved since his controversial loss to Robson Conceicao. As long as he doesn’t get caught sleeping, this is O’Shaquie’s fight to lose and prove he’s on the elite level.
