Photo - Mikey Williams/Top Rank
There comes a time in a fighter’s career when he takes the biggest challenge and fights the best in his division. Julio Cesar Chavez took on the biggest challenge and best fighter in his division when he fought Melderick Taylor in what was a fight between two undefeated champions. For WBC champion Oscar Valdez (30-0, 23 KOs) of Tucson by way of Nogales, Sonora Mexico he will be experiencing that moment this Saturday night as he takes on WBO champion Shakur Stevenson (17-0, 9 KOs) of Newark, New Jersey in a super featherweight unification showdown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas live on ESPN.
“I am ready for this fight. Ever since I was a kid, I have dreamed of being the main event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. This is the toughest and biggest fight of my career,”
Coming in as the underdog, Valdez doesn’t seem that to be the case, nor does it bother him as he was the underdog in his fight against Berchelt.
“Here we go again. The odds are against me, and everyone thinks that he will walk all over me, but just like against Berchelt, I will use that as motivation,”
Last year, saw Valdez experience some ups and down as he scored a huge knockout over Miguel Berchelt, pulling the upset as many counted him out against the bigger puncher Berchelt. A huge counter right hand that floored the champion, Valdez enjoyed the thrill of victory in winning the WBC super featherweight title.
“I had a very tough challenge against Miguel Berchelt, it was a big victory,”
The thrill of victory was later overshadowed as Valdez tested positive for a banned substance phentermine, prior to his first title defense but was allowed to fight and defend his title after the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Athletic Commission in Tucson, Arizona ruled.
Valdez had a mediocre performance in his fight against Brazil’s Robson Conceicao, winning a unanimous decision and successfully defending his title against the 2016 Olympic gold medalist. Win or lose there were many questions to answer on his performance and positive test result.
Now the time has come to face Shakur Stevenson.
“Shakur has been talking for quite some time. He is the type of fighter that talks a lot and is always running his mouth on social media, but I’m not like that. I let my fists do the talking,”
This has been a serious camp for Valdez and his team, working with trainer Eddie Reynoso and the Team Canelo stable in San Diego, California as he prepares for fellow super featherweight champion Shakur Stevenson.
“I have worked very hard in camp, in the gym, and as always, I’m going to give it my best and leave it all in the ring,” Valdez on his preparation. “For this kind of challenge, I prepared myself very well physically, but more importantly mentally.”
For Shakur Stevenson, the 2016 U.S Olympic Silver medalist turned pro in 2017 when Valdez was already a featherweight champion. Climbing his way up to the top, Stevenson won his first world title in 2019 with a flawless unanimous decision over Joet Gonzalez as he won the vacant WBO featherweight title. He is coming off an impressive stoppage over Jamel Herring in winning the WBO super featherweight title.
“He is the type of fighter that is not willing to go to war. I’m the type of fighter that always wants to give the fans what they want,”
Perhaps the toughest task to date for Valdez as he will be taking on very flashy fighter in Stevenson.
“Since he is not willing to give the fans what they want, this will be more of a chess match. It will be a more technical fight. The smartest fighter inside the ring will win,”
Win or lose, Valdez will leave it all in the ring as he his never in a dull fight.
“I can’t promise a win, I can’t promise a knockout but one thing I can promise you is that I will leave it all in the ring. Like we say in Mexico, I'm willing to die on the line just to win. That’s all that matters to me.”
A win for Valdez over Shakur can possibly pave the way to superstardom as his promoter Bob Arum/Top Rank has taken many world champions to become superstars and all-time greats such as Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr. Manny Pacquiaio, and now the next generation awaits.
“When we signed Valdez, we knew he would be a premier fighter. We signed Shakur we knew he would be a superstar and if the weights with Valdez coincided, they would fight each other. We have two great fighters willing to fight each other. This is wonderful for the sport,” Hall of Fame Promoter Bob Arum said about the matchup.
Representing Mexico in the 2012 Olympics, Valdez has already won two-world titles in two weight divisions winning the WBO featherweight title, and WBC super featherweight, as he looks to unify with a victory over Stevenson. This would not only be a big win for Valdez but also for Mexican boxing as Valdez looks to continue the great Mexican boxing tradition.
“I will be a step closer to accomplishing my dream of being considered one of the best fighters in Mexican boxing history. I want my name to be among all these great Mexican fighters, like Morales, Barrera, Marquez, and Chavez. For that to happen, I need to win this fight.”
Follow Miguel on Twitter @MigMaravilla
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