Notebook: Foster earns his top billing; Nova aims to bump him off

Taylor-Catterall grudge rematch official; Golden Boy finalizes Zepeda-Hughes undercard; Quick hits; Show and tell

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O’Shaquie Foster, the perennial B-side fighter, has arrived on the A side as he heads into his second defense of the WBC junior lightweight title.

In his first fight since signing with Top Rank in November, Foster will face Abraham “Super” Nova in the main event of a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card on Friday (ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET) at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“We’ve been calling out Nova for years,” Foster said at the fight-week news conference. “He knows it. His excuse was that my name wasn’t big enough. Funny how the tables turn. I’m ready, and I’m familiar with his style.

“I did everything in the gym. We are prepared. Come Friday night, we will dominate and put on a show.”

Foster put on a show in recent fights to earn his way into this position. Nothing was given to him.

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