Raymond Ford says O’Shaquie Foster’s recent form does not impress him, even after Foster’s strong run as WBC junior lightweight champion. Foster has beaten names like Eduardo Hernandez, Abraham Nova, Robson Conceicao and Stephen Fulton, but Ford believes the champion has shown flaws that he can expose when they meet Saturday at the Fertitta Center in Houston.
Ford was direct when comparing himself to Foster’s recent opponents. “Those guys is not on my level - the ones he was having trouble with,” Ford said. “Their IQ just wasn’t good enough to get them through to finishing the fight. They either get lazy, careless, or whatever, and they end up blowing it. I’m a lot more disciplined than them.”
Foster’s win over Fulton was widely seen as one of his best performances, but Ford still does not believe it would be enough against him. “That was the best of his career for sure,” Ford said. “The only problem with that is it’s not good enough for me. That performance is not good enough to beat me.”
Ford also feels more comfortable since moving up in weight after losing his WBA featherweight title to Nick Ball. He said the extra four pounds have made him a different fighter physically and mentally. “I’m a way better fighter because I’m more comfortable,” Ford said. “I can feel like myself; I ain’t doing too much, fight week; I ain’t harming my body.”
Although Foster has Texas roots and may have crowd support in Houston, Ford says that does not bother him. “All the pressure on O’Shaquie,” he said. “It’s his hometown.” Ford also dismissed Foster’s talk about Shakur Stevenson, saying Foster still has to deal with him first: “If you can’t deal with me, you can’t get to what you wanna get to.”
Image Credit: Matchroom Boxing