O’Shaquie Foster Wins Dec. To Maintain World Title Hunt; Stephan Shaw Gets 10th KO

O’Shaquie Foster cruises to win No. 17, Mary McGee wins vacant IBF title and Stephan Shaw gets big KO for 13th win

Foster (17-2, 10 KOs) didn’t get the same kind of conclusion as his Knockout of The Year finish versus Jesus Bravo. He did rock Mercado (16-4-1, 3 KOs) with a well-timed left hand in round six. Mercado wisely held on until his legs were under him. Mercado’s never been stopped.

Foster punished Mercado in the following round. The lanky Mercado endured Foster’s pressure. He fought back in round eight. Foster remained poised, seeking the first stoppage of the Puerto Rican.

Foster stalked Mercado and landed powerful shots in the ninth frame. Mercado stayed on the move, trying to evade Foster’s heavy single shots. In the tenth Mercado mixed it up early before circling around Foster to close out the final round. Foster’s performance left little chance for a shock with regard to the outcome. The Texan retained his WBC Silver title via unanimous decision, but the judges’ cards were not announced. Foster will await a call from one of the 130-pound titleholders, and he’ll continue to improve until given a shot.

In the co-main event Gary, Indiana native Mary McGee (26-3, 14 KOs) gradually solved No. 1 IBF junior welterweight Ana Esteche (14-6-3, 2 KOs) of Argentina. By the sixth round, McGee fully seized control of the fight.

McGee capitalized on her momentum in the eighth where she dropped the Argentine with a right hand. Esteche managed to battle on but McGee continued to walk her down – looking the fresher of the two.

In the 10th and final round, McGee answered the bell spirited and unleashed an early flurry. Esteche’s head snapped back multiple times. With the champion unable to move away and regroup McGee continued to flurry until referee Earl Brown had seen enough. After 14 years as a pro, and five total appearances since November 2013, McGee finally celebrated her achievement of becoming a world champion. Esteche was gracious in defeat and gave McGee an extended hug after the official announcement. McGee, 33, exited the ring with her first title – the IBF junior welterweight championship.

Top American heavyweight prospect Stephan Shaw, from St. Louis, faced Gregory Corbin (15-2, 9 KOs) in a 10-rounder. Shaw studied Corbin’s movement most of the first round before flicking a quick jab with a right hand behind it that dropped the 39-year old prior to the bell.

Corbin made it into round two where he encountered a busy Shaw early. The fight moved into the third round where Shaw caught Corbin with a couple left hooks followed by some right hands that left him stunned lying against the ropes. Referee Jamil Antoine quickly stepped in while Corbin was briefly unresponsive and waved the fight off at 2:14.

Mikkel LesPierre vs Roody Pierre Paul

LesPierre (22-1-1, 10 KOs) entered the fight looking to rebound from his first defeat. The Brooklyn native suffered a setback while bidding for a world title versus former WBO super lightweight champion Maurice Hooker in March.

LesPierre bounced back nicely versus Paul (16-6-2, 6 KOs), comfortably controlling the action with superior ring generalship. When pressed LesPierre reasserted himself with his jab, uppercut, and bodywork. The Canadian, Paul, constantly pressed forward and enjoyed his moments, but the southpaw often received a LesPierre hook.

Ahead on the cards, LesPierre moved well and placed his shots in the final two rounds. His experience at world-class level served him well en route to cards of 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73.

Also in Action

Lightweight Victor Padilla unleashed his power in round one versus Tennessee’s Fredric Bowen (6-4-1, 3 KOs). In the ensuing frames, Bowen crowded the undefeated southpaw and challenged the 21-year old New Jersey resident. Padilla sustained a cut in the fourth round. Padilla started measuring Bowen with his right hand around the final minute of the fifth round. He knocked out Bowen’s mouthpiece with a left hook that also dropped Bowen. The action resumed – without Bowen reinserting his mouthpiece – but Padilla flurried to force the referee to stop the fight. The stoppage moved Padilla to seven wins with his sixth KO.

Follow @E_Pluribus_Wood and @OTHeroics for great content!

Discuss this article and more in the Overtime Heroics Forums!