“I’m happy and excited to fight at home for the first time as a world champion,” Foster said. “It’s a dream come true. We will be 1,000 per cent prepared, and we will dominate from round one.”
Ford (18-1-1, 8 KOs) isn’t treating this as a step up so much as a continuation. His stoppage of Otabek Kholmatov to win a title at featherweight showed he’s comfortable going into difficult situations and finding a way out late. Since moving to 130, he’s stayed busy and moved into position quickly, and he’s been direct about how he sees this fight.
“I’m just happy he finally signed the contract,” Ford said. “When it came down to it, I was the biggest fight out there for him, and now it’s time to fight, and I can’t wait for it. He’s a good name for my record, and I’m taking that belt on May 30 and becoming a two-weight world champion.”
The two already had a moment at ringside in Phoenix in March, and that exchange carried over into the build for this fight. Promoter voices have leaned into the idea that Ford has done this before on the road, and that it can happen again.
“O’Shaquie is a fantastic boxer, always in exciting fights, and a worthy world ruler,” said Eddie Hearn. “But we’ve been here before. Ray stopped a Top Rank fighter to become champion in enemy territory, and on May 30 we believe lightning strikes twice and ‘Savage’ gets the strap on a magic night in Texas.”
Top Rank’s Todd duBoef pointed more toward Foster’s recent form while acknowledging the edge between the two.
“O’Shaquie Foster solidified his place among the division’s elite by dismantling Stephen Fulton in December,” duBoef said. “Now he will defend his crown on his home turf against another former world champion in Raymond Ford. Recently, there’s been a lot of animosity between the two, and we expect Foster to silence that with a dominant performance on May 30.”
Foster is trying to establish a second run that holds. Ford is trying to cut into it before it settles. That tension is doing most of the work here.
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