In the heart of The Theater at Madison Square Garden, O’Shaquie Foster clung to his WBC junior lightweight world title, edging out Abraham Nova with a nail-biting split decision this Friday night.
The early rounds saw a chess match unfold, with Foster and Nova swapping jabs and feints, each probing for an opening. By the sixth and seventh rounds, Foster shifted gears, landing hefty shots that saw Nova’s spark start to dim.
Come the ninth, Foster unleashed a flurry of sharp right hands, widening the gap, and capped it off by sending Nova to the canvas with a solid left hook in the grand finale.
The scorecards told a tale of close combat, with one judge tipping it 113-114 for Nova, overshadowed by 115-112 and 116-111 scores in Foster’s favor.
Post-fight, Foster kept it real, “No excuses, but his elbow did catch me mid-bicep during a right, kind of jammed me up, but all’s well that ends well. My rhythm was a tad off tonight, but we clinched the win, and that’s what counts. I’m all about those 12-round battles, adapting as we go. He started strong, but I caught onto his beat and took it from there.”
Foster’s looking forward, eyeing his next challenge, “Navarrete’s tied up, but I’m all in for a clash with Lamont Roach Jr. or whoever comes out on top between Oscar Valdez and Liam Wilson.”
Nova reflected on the duel, “O’Shaquie’s top-notch, no doubt. That slip in the 12th was just that, a slip. Had that not gone down, we might’ve been staring at a draw. That’s boxing for you. I’ve shown I’m no easy out. How about a rematch, Foster? Or I’m down for a scrap with Navarrete or the next in line.”
And the night had more in store…
Andres Cortes steamrolled over Bryan Chevalier, scooping up the WBO Intercontinental junior lightweight title in a fourth-round stoppage, showcasing his dominance with relentless hooks that left Chevalier reeling.
Meanwhile, Brooklyn’s own Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington delivered a knockout punch to Bernard Torres, a contender for Knockout of the Year, sending Torres face-first to the mat in a dramatic fourth-round finish.
The evening also saw Guido Vianello’s explosive power on display, dropping Moses Johnson four times in a swift first-round TKO in the heavyweight division.
In the middleweight ring, Isaah Flaherty clinched a unanimous points victory over Julien Baptiste, showcasing his skill and determination over six rounds.
The junior lightweight saw Ofacio Falcon outmaneuver and outpunch Edward Ceballos, earning a unanimous decision with his slick counterpunching.
Tiger Johnson made short work of Paulo Galdino in the junior welterweight, delivering a rapid-fire finish just 49 seconds into the first round.
Euri Cedeno, the Dominican Olympian, continued his ascent in the middleweight division with a fifth-round TKO against Antonio Todd, demonstrating his power and precision.
And in the welterweight clash, Harlem’s Arnold Gonzalez maintained his unbeaten streak with a hard-fought unanimous decision over Charles Stanford, proving his resilience and fighting spirit.
