OSCAR Valdez insists that no too many miles will get in the way of career hours and he’s ready to hit the trenches again. Valdez will face Mexican Emanuel Navarrete for the WBO super heavyweight title on December 7, and Oscar knows what to expect after 12 rounds in their first meeting, where he lost by unanimous decision.
“I have a few more fights left in me. 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 beating Wilson would punch my ticket to an even bigger fight.
“I’m excited to share the ring again with a fighter like Vaquero and have the opportunity to win the WBO junior lightweight title.”
The win over Wilson was actually a solid outing, culminating in a seventh-round knockout that earned Valdez the interim WBO belt and put him back in the limelight, keeping him hot for such an opportunity. It won’t be easy to right the wrongs of Navarrete’s first fight, but if Navarrete has been slowed by a repeat opponent and is still hurt by a loss to Denis Berinchyk at lightweight, there is hope for the former Olympian.
“I’m back in the gym training for a second chance at Navarrete, I’m looking at what we did wrong, I’m watching film and I’m working hard to correct the mistakes. Not everyone gets a second chance. I will use it more. I don’t waste days.
“I’m at a stage in my career where I appreciate everything and enjoy every moment, whether it’s 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 some mistakes. My biggest mistake was trying to knock out my opponent. I always want to give the fans what they pay for, but instead of sticking to my game plan, I focused on the knockout. I work smarter, fight smarter and get sparring partners that better mimic his style,” Valdez added.
Another trick can be location and location. Valdez has 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 have taken place there and I look forward to giving the fans in Phoenix an action-packed fight,” he said.
