Raymond Ford lets shove do the talking ahead of O’Shaquie Foster fight
Raymond Ford didn’t have much to say at Thursday’s final press conference. He made sure everyone understood how he felt anyway.
After largely keeping his comments brief ahead of Saturday’s challenge of WBC junior lightweight titleholder O’Shaquie Foster at Houston’s Fertitta Center, Ford punctuated the final staredown by shoving Foster, drawing a smile from the defending champion.
Ford (18-1-1, 8 KOs), a Camden, New Jersey native who now lives and trains in Houston, made it clear he wasn’t interested in exchanging words with Foster. When members of the crowd heckled him, however, he briefly broke his silence.
“I’m just ready, but I ain’t really got too much to say,” Ford said before responding to spectators with, “Shut your bitch ass up.”
Foster (24-3, 12 KOs) dismissed Ford’s actions as a sign of nerves.
“Y’all can’t fight for him,” Foster told the crowd.
“They can’t fight for you either,” Ford shot back.
The tension between the two may be heightened by their shared ties to Houston. Though Ford was born and raised in South Jersey, both he and Foster now call the city home and train there.
Ford, 27, is attempting to become a two-division titleholder after previously holding the WBA featherweight title. Since moving up to 130 pounds, he has won three consecutive bouts. Foster, 32, will make the first defense of the title he retained with a dominant victory over Stephen Fulton last December.
Foster believes his experience and composure will ultimately decide the fight.
“Man, they know why they call me Ice Water. I stay cool, I stay calm, and I flow like water,” Foster said. “He’s gonna find out Saturday. All that talking, all that rah-rah shit, it’s gonna get shut down real quick.”
Foster predicted a one-sided performance.
“I’ma dominate from round one until whenever the fight ends. If he gets too reckless, like I told him, it’s gonna be a bad night for him.”
Ford’s trainer, Tarae Stevenson, expressed confidence that his fighter will leave Houston with another world title.
“This is the longest training camp I’ve had in my career,” Stevenson said. “We done put the blood, sweat and tears in, and it ain’t too much more to say. We’re just ready to go come Saturday. It’s Savage time, and the new.”
The fight card will begin airing at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, with Foster-Ford ringwalk time scheduled for 10:39 p.m.