Foster will face Ford this Saturday night in Houston, Texas, defending his WBC super featherweight title against the former featherweight champion in a fight that is increasingly being linked to Stevenson due to connections between their camps.

Discussing the fight, Foster explained why he thinks a fight with Ford could raise demand for a future fight with Shakur.

“If we’re being truthful, he’s got a little bit more in his toolbox than Shakur,” Foster told Fighthype. “He’s not a bigger or bigger fighter in terms of distance and all that, but in terms of certain tools that he throws into the ring offensively, he does some things a little better than Shakur.”

Foster believes Ford’s style will give fans a taste of what a fight with Stevenson could look like, especially considering how much attention is already being placed on the possibility of the two eventually meeting.

“Ray’s style is he’s trying to imitate Shakur,” Foster said. “When they see I can handle it, they’ll be eager to see what I do to Shakur.”

Foster also spent much of the interview criticizing the amount of support Ford received from Stevenson, Keyshawn Davis and other fighters connected to their circle ahead of Saturday’s fight.

“They can create any Avengers team they need,” Foster said. “When I do the same to him, it will make me look even better.”

The WBC champion suggested Stevenson and his team prepare Ford for this fight because they understand the danger he poses stylistically.

“I saw the interview with Shakur,” Foster said. “He said me and Keyshawn, if we spar, no one can beat us because we’re the best in the world. If I were Ray Ford, I’d be pissed. That tells me they’re giving the belt to the little guy over there.”

Foster made it clear that he expects a dominant performance on Saturday against Ford and believes Stevenson will have no choice but to continue fighting him later.

“He’s definitely going to have to answer after the fight,” Foster said.

Broadcasts of the main event of Foster vs. Ford live on DAZN from the Toyota Center in Houston.

Ryan Garcia says today’s welterweight division is finally attracting the massive names boxing fans have wanted to see for years, and he believes champions now have a responsibility to fight the best, not protect positions.

Garcia, who recently won the WBC welterweight title, said the sport frustrated him early in his career because elite fighters often avoided each other in their prime years. Ryan said one of the reasons he agreed to fight Gervonta Davis was because he wanted to see more top fighters facing each other rather than avoid risky fights.

“At the time, no one was fighting each other,” Ryan told Elaborate News, discussing his decision to accept the Davis fight under complex contract terms.

“I think that we, I, as champion, have a responsibility to support boxing in the most respectable way possible without putting myself in bad trouble. But I am the type of person that I will fight anyone, especially when all conditions are equal and fair. I will fight anyone.”

Ryan also rejected the notion that he avoids tough opponents, pointing to fighters he has faced throughout his career.

“I have never been afraid of a top-class fight in my life. Throughout my life, since my amateur days, I have fought everyone. I have fought in the most complex categories,” Garcia said.

Ryan then pointed to the current state of the welterweight division, arguing that 147 pounds has become in the spotlight because so many fighters are currently pursuing major fights there.

“Now you see 147, everyone wants to come here now,” Ryan said.

Garcia is currently expected to return on September 12 in Las Vegas, although he recently cautioned that details regarding a potential fight with Conor Benn are still not fully finalized.

Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fighting landscape. His reports focus on the most crucial fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.

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Last updated: 27/05/2026 at 23:48

If their warm-up fights prove irrelevant, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will face each other before the end of the year to settle their long-running feud. Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez shared his thoughts on the blockbuster fight.

Fury and Joshua have finally agreed fight terms, but the event still hinges on the success of each in transition fights – something that cannot be taken for granted, as ‘AJ’ found out when he lost to Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019 and again when a proposed clash with Deontay Wilder ended in the American’s loss to Joseph Parker.

On Saturday, July 25, Joshua will return to fight the little-known Albanian Kristian Prenga, who won all 20 triumphs in his career by knockout, but has not yet reached a level close to the world level.

Meanwhile, ‘The Gypsy King’ is preparing for his second appearance in 2026, recently teasing that he will appear on the Dublin card next week, with fans still unsure who will be in the opposite corner. A low-risk dance partner is expected so as not to expose the completely British banger to any real danger.

In an interview with Boxing News, four-division world champion Canelo looked to the future, predicting – and hoping for – an Anthony Joshua victory.

“I think Anthony Joshua [will win]. I’m always with Anthony Joshua. It’s a good fight, but I’m betting on Anthony Joshua.

Joshua has previously trained with Canelo while touring gyms in the United Statesworking for a miniature trial period under Alvarez head coach Eddy Reynoso before opting to hire Robert Garcia instead ahead of his 2022 rematch with Oleksandr Usyk. He has now opted for the team of elderly rival and unified champion Oleksandr Usyk, adding more intrigue to the Fury fight.