PHOENIX — Oscar Valdez returns to the ring Saturday for his tremendous featherweight world title combat in opposition to the defending champion Emanuel Navarrete as an athlete accustomed to massive bouts on massive levels.
He’s competed in 11 world title fights — profitable 9. And has been a key participant in Mexico’s success throughout boxing’s weight courses within the fashionable period, alongside pound-for-pound stalwart Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, and tremendous flyweight beast Juan Francisco Estrada.
With Valdez, Canelo, and Estrada all of their 30s, there’s a new technology of Mexican fighters who’re gaining recognition, together with Valdez’s pal Rafael Espinoza, who fights Robeisy Ramirez on the identical card Saturday on the Footprint Heart in Phoenix, Arizona. There may be additionally tremendous middleweight bruiser Jaime Munguia, Golden Boy stud William Zepeda, and the wildly in style Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz.
Chatting with World Boxing Information on the Prime Rank fighter resort Thursday in Phoenix, Valdez tipped a 22-year-old fighter who’s but to make their boxing debut as a Mexican able to set the combat recreation ablaze.
“In Mexico, there’s lots of powerful fighters,” Valdez instructed us. “However there’s a silver medalist from the Olympic Video games referred to as Marco Verde.”
The teenager is an completed novice boxer due to a gold medal on the 2023 Pan American Video games, and a silver within the Olympics only one yr later, shedding within the welterweight remaining to Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev.
Canelo coach and supervisor Eddy Reynoso is advising Verde, and the fighter will solely decide on turning professional as soon as boxing’s destiny on the 2028 Olympics has been established. If there’s an opportunity for Verde to get gold, quite than silver, he’d take it. If boxing’s not part of the LA Video games, Verde will go professional.
After he does, “he’s the candidate for holding the flag for Mexico,” Valdez instructed WBN.
“There’s lots of nice Mexican fighters on the market however they’re nonetheless not but as in style because the face of boxing must be,” he stated.
“If Canelo’s not right here because the face of boxing then I’ve to say Gervonta,” added Valdez, referencing ‘Tank’ Davis as one of many sport’s bona fide ticket sellers. “Even informal followers know who he’s.”
Valdez challenges Navarrete for the WBO world tremendous featherweight title Saturday atop a Prime Rank on ESPN+ card.
It’s a 10-bout occasion which options Espinoza and Ramirez, in addition to Lindolfo Delgado, Giovanni Santillan, and Richard Torrez in separate fights.
Join the WBN Publication at no cost and get day by day information straight in your electronic mail.
Alan Dawson is World Boxing Information Lead Author, a 2 x Sports activities Journalist of the 12 months finalist, and 5 x BWAA awards winner. Observe Alan @AlanDawsonSport.
