O’Shaquie Foster expects a victory over Emanuel Navarrete on Saturday to earn him a pound-for-pound spot. The harder part could be turning that achievement into the audience and bigger paydays he wants.
Foster puts his WBC super featherweight title against Navarrete’s IBF and WBO belts at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. Three titles would give the winner a strong claim as the division’s best fighter, with one belt left to collect.
Speaking to The Ring’s Manouk Akopyan, Foster made his expectations clear.
“I think this win is going to put me on the pound-for-pound list.”
He has a reasonable argument. Foster’s record includes victories over Rey Vargas, Eduardo Hernandez, Stephen Fulton and Raymond Ford. He also avenged his disputed split-decision defeat to Robson Conceicao. Beating Navarrete would add a three-division champion to that list.
The frustrating part for Foster is that he still needs another major win to get the recognition he believes those results should already have earned him.
Navarrete gives him an opportunity to change that. His pressure and punching power create a different test from beating another technical boxer. If Foster can control him over 12 rounds, it becomes harder to dismiss his success as the product of favorable opponents.
However, pound-for-pound recognition and ticket-selling power are separate rewards. A ranking gives Foster something to put beside his name. It doesn’t guarantee that fans will pay to watch his next defense.
How he wins could influence what follows. A disciplined points victory would strengthen his claim among the sport’s best. A performance with knockdowns, drama or a stoppage could reach viewers who haven’t followed his title reign.
That doesn’t mean Foster should abandon the approach that got him here. Trading unnecessarily with Navarrete would give the Mexican champion the kind of fight he wants.
Foster’s first job is to win. After that, his promoters need to turn three belts into an event fans want to watch. If Saturday ends with another impressive victory followed by another quiet promotion, Foster could find himself making the same argument before his next fight.
