O’Shaquie Foster is set to live out one of nearly every boxers’ biggest dreams — fighting center stage as the main event at the “Mecca.”
But not too long ago, his center stage was the middle of a prison cell, as he contemplated his future in the sport.
Foster was accused of attempted murder in 2017, and was then incarcerated in the Harris County Jail in Houston.
The charge was lessened to aggravated assault, however, and Foster spent just four months in prison, though he is still on probation.
Now, seven years later, the 30-year-old Foster (21-2) will defend his WBC junior lightweight world title against Abraham Nova (23-1) at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Friday night on ESPN.
“I realized there is nothing for you — if you fail, there is nothing,” Foster told The Post. “Nobody is gonna pick you up. … When I was in that position, where I was [after prison], I was staying on friends’ couches, I had to literally go stay in FEMA homes in Houston.
“When I understood ‘your back is against the wall, you ain’t got nothing, you might as well just go as hard as you can and see where it takes you. Like, what else you got? You ain’t got nothing.’ That’s what I took from it. We’re just gonna lock in.”
Before his incarceration, Foster lost two fights within a four-bout stretch to lowly opposition, and his legal troubles only threw his career even further into jeopardy.
But it was in prison that Foster’s career — and more importantly, his life — changed.
Terence Crawford’s undisputed super lightweight bout against Julius Indongo on ESPN was being shown on a TV in Foster’s prison, and he watched as Crawford knocked Indongo out in the third round to become an undisputed champion.
Foster was steadfast in his belief that he was not far off Crawford’s ability, and saw two paths in front of him — the one he was currently on, behind bars, and another that led to glory.
After his release, Foster began his journey on the latter path.
And he hasn’t looked back.
“You gotta have that in you that’s like ‘alright, this ain’t for nothing,’” Foster said. “Because there’s gonna be a lot of times you’re training and a lot of times you’re just there, you’re working hard and you feel like you don’t got nothing going on, it’s always for something.”
It’ll be Foster’s turn on ESPN Friday night, just as he watched Crawford on the network from prison.
If prison was his low point, does Friday represent Foster’s high point?
“My high point will be when I get the win, for sure,” Foster said. “But my thing is, I can see so much more that I can do in the sport. You can say it’s my high point because it’s the highest I’ve ever been in the sport. But this ain’t the ceiling. I don’t even think it’s close to the ceiling of what I can do.”
Foster is coming off a fight in which he overcame ample adversity in the ring as well.
In his first title defense, against Eduardo Hernandez in October, Foster was trailing on the scorecards entering the 12th and final round.
But Foster knocked Hernandez out in that round, stealing a win in one of 2023’s most entertaining fights.
“I can go through any adversity that’s thrown my way,” Foster said. “[It showed] that I can carry my power from [rounds] 1-12. That fight gave me so many life lessons and so much to build on.
“I feel like I’m unstoppable.”
