New York—On Friday at Madison Square Garden’s Theater, O’Shaquie “Shock” Foster maintained his WBC junior lightweight championship by securing a split-decision win over Abraham “Super” Nova.

Despite one judge favoring Nova with a score of 114-113, Foster emerged victorious with scores of 115-112 and 116-111. The champion solidified his win in the 12th round by delivering a knockdown with a well-timed counter left hand, less than 25 seconds before the end of the bout.

“I’m a 12-round fighter and I know how to make adjustments through the fight,” said Foster. “I had a bad weight cut. … My rhythm was just off. … I’m going to be back stronger than ever.”

Nova (23-2, 16 KOs), a significant underdog in his first 12-round contest, secured two of the first four rounds according to all three scorecards. In the later rounds he showed signs of fatigue, unsurprising given his debut in a title bout. The 30-year-old Puerto Rican’s sole encounter with a reigning or former champion was in 2022, resulting in a fifth-round knockout by Robeisy Ramirez at 126 pounds.

Although Nova showcased moments of skill, notably in the fourth round with a well-executed combination to the body and head, his momentum waned. The knockdown in the 12th round guaranteed Nova’s defeat, as winning the final round would have resulted in a draw.

Foster (22-2, 12 KOs) asserted his dominance in the final four rounds as Nova began to fatigue. He effectively anticipated Nova’s advances and, mirroring his previous performance, Foster finished the fight strongly. Hailing from Houston, the 30-year-old boxer was defending his WBC title for the second time.

Foster clinched the 130-pound championship last February by defeating Rey Vargas, and later defended it successfully in October with a 12th-round TKO victory over Rocky Hernandez. Despite trailing on two of the three scorecards, Foster came back to KO Hernandez to retain his title.

Foster is eyeing the unification of the junior lightweight division. He has expressed interest in facing Lamont Roach, the WBA super champion.

By Vincent Quezada

Photo courtesy of Top Rank Boxing