OSCAR Valdez insists there are no excessive kilometers to clog up the career clock and he is ready to get back into the trenches. Valdez will face Emmanuel Navarrete for his fellow Mexican’s WBO super-featherweight title on December 7, and Oscar knows what to expect after 12 intense rounds in their first meeting, which he lost by unanimous decision.
“I have a few more battles left.” I feel great,” said Valdez, 32-2 (24 KOs). “I showed I have a lot left in my last fight when I beat Liam Wilson. I was emotional because I knew that beating Wilson would punch my ticket to an even bigger fight.
“I’m excited to share the ring with a warrior like ‘Vaquero’ again and have the opportunity to win the WBO Junior Lightweight Championship.
Wilson’s win was indeed a solid fight, ending in a seventh-round knockout that earned Valdez the interim WBO belt and brought him back into relevance, keeping him warm for this type of opportunity. Righting the wrongs of Navarrete’s first fight won’t be easy, but if Navarrete is under-motivated by a rematch and is still hurting from his lightweight loss to Denis Berinchik, there is hope for the former Olympian.
“I’m back in the gym to train for a second chance at Navarrete, I’m looking at what we did wrong, watching film and working hard to correct the mistakes.” Not everyone gets a second chance. I will make the most of it. I don’t waste days.
“I’m at a point in my career where I appreciate everything and enjoy every moment, whether I’m running, sparring or just drinking coffee.” I enjoy the struggles and I am grateful for everything in life.”
“I know what to expect from Navarrete.” I know what to train for. I trained hard and smart for this fight. In the first fight I made a few mistakes. My biggest mistake was trying to knock out my opponent. I always want to give the fans what they pay for, but I focused on the knockout instead of sticking to my game plan. “I work smarter, I fight smarter and I bring in sparring partners who better imitate his style,” added Valdez.
Another trick up your sleeve can be place and location. Valdez has some happy memories of boxing in Arizona and could be ready to rekindle the desert heat on Saturday night.
“The boxing fans in Arizona are incredibly supportive. “Some of the most memorable nights of my career took place there and I look forward to giving the fans in Phoenix an action-packed battle,” he said.