Bodyblow: Weakened Foster Jr loses European title

Stephen Foster Jr’s world title aspirations suffered a major blow after he was floored five times en-route to dropping a unanimous decision to Belgium’s Ermano Fegatilli who claimed Foster’s European super-featherweight crown at Bolton Arena last night.

A weakened Foster Jr, who afterwards revealed that his preparations were disrupted by a virus, fell apart late on and was sent to the canvas in round nine, three times in the tenth and once more in the eleventh but courageously hauled himself up to hear the final bell. The judges’ scorecards were all but academic but MC Michael Pass completed the formalities by announcing Fegatilli as the new European champion by margins of 114-109 (twice) and 114-110.

Foster Jr (9st 3 13oz), who captured the European crown with a sensational stoppage of Levan Kirakosyan in October, started a big favourite against Fegatilli (9st2 9oz) who had suffered four previous defeats and only had five stoppages on his record. However from the early exchanges it soon became apparent that the Salford man was going to be in for a demanding evening. The shorter Fegatelli took the fight to the champion targeting the body in rounds two and three as a subdued Foster Jr seemed stuck in first gear.

Stephen eventually woke up in round four and was buoyed after Italian official Giuseppe Quartarone cautioned him for a ‘low blow’ which Fegatilli made the most of (television replays showed that the punch had landed in the target area). Now boxing with greater snap and authority, Foster Jr enjoyed his best spell in the fifth as he got the better of some spirited exchanges and drilled Fegatilli with a sneak uppercut and a right hand over the top which the Belgian definitely felt.

After a circumspect opening Foster Jr now seemed firmly in the driving seat but his pace notably dipped in round six and suddenly the champion looked out-of-sorts again. As we entered the seventh Stephen looked spent as he stumbled around the ring open-mouthed as Fegatilli targeted his mid-section. When he was able to maintain a good workrate this contest was well within Foster Jr’s grasp so one has to assume that the virus, or possibly weight-making difficulties, was to blame for his ultimate collapse.

Sensing that the tide had turned, Fegatilli grew in confidence and swept the eighth to level things on my card. In the ninth the Belgian continued to lay siege on Foster Jr who backed uncomfortably to the ropes as he desperately gulped for air. After another left hook thudded into the champion’s body, he elected to take a knee after a delayed reaction with 30 seconds remaining in the session. Stephen rose at eight but it was clear that his title was slipping away.

Things went from bad to worse for Foster Jr in a torrid tenth. A double left hook to head and body from Fegatilli dispatched him to the canvas for the second time. Body shots again took their toll on the shattered champion as he went down again for a count of eight soon afterwards. Stephen tried admirably to fight back but had to take another knee after he was clipped by a right hand as he desperately tried to trade with Fegatilli who was now swarming all over him in a neutral corner.

Trainer Maurice Core took a long look at Foster Jr in the minute’s interval but elected to send Foster out for what had now become mission impossible for the beleaguered Salford man. Another flash knockdown compounded the champion’s misery in round eleven who was now a mile behind on the scorecards. Core looked poised to throw the towel in as he loitered on the ring apron but Foster Jr valiantly dug deep and launched one final throw of the dice and got through with a decent right.

With the contest seemingly in the bag, Fegatilli eased off the gas in the final stanza but credit must given to Foster Jr who somehow found enough drains of energy to jab-and-move to win the round and score a moral, if ultimately hollow victory.

Talk had begun to focus on whether promoter Ricky Hatton could deliver Foster Jr a world title shot but these plans have now firmly gone out of the window following this shock result. A rematch, assuming Foster Jr can drag his chiseled frame down to 9st 4lbs, is certainly winnable for the 30-year-old Salford man whose record now stands at 28-3-1 (18). Fegatilli improves to 23-4 (5) and could find himself returning to Britain to defend his European title in the not too distant future.

Undercard review to follow.