The industry has frequently failed him but O’Shaquie Foster finally found a way to use the system to his advantage.

A ringing endorsement for open scoring came in the visiting WBC junior lightweight titlist’s come-from-behind, 12th round knockout of Eduardo ‘Rocky’ Hernandez. Foster trailed on two of the three scorecards, a fate and his team learned through four and again after eight rounds in their DAZN main event this past Saturday in Cancun, Mexico.

“My coaches were telling me that I was behind, so I knew I had to push it before I lost my belt, “ Foster revealed after his dramatic win. “I have to give it all, so that’s what I did. Rocky is a hell of a puncher and a hell of a fighter, I had to dig deep, but I knew I could catch him.”

Foster hurt Mexico’s Hernandez (34-2, 31KOs) in the eleventh round and twice sent him to the canvas in the fateful 12th and final round. The 30-year-old from Orange, Texas trailed by scores of 107-102 and an absurd 110-99 tally on the disgraceful scorecard of Nicolas Hidalgo. Foster (21-2, 12KOs) led 106-103 on the third card but even the two knockdowns would not have been enough to retain his title had it gone the distance.

Hernandez was less than a minute from winning a decision and the title when his body went limp as Foster attacked along the ropes. Referee Hector Afu gave the challenger every chance to fight back before he intervened with just 22 seconds left in the contest.

“In the 11th round I hurt him, but he came back and hit me with a good shot,” admitted Foster, who won the title in a twelve-round decision over previously unbeaten Rey Vargas in February. “So, it gave him a little more hope, but in the 12th round I knew I could catch him.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox