By: Sean Crose
It was uncertain anybody anticipated Oscar Valdez to go down within the second spherical of his combat in opposition to Adam Lopez again in 2019. Lopez, in spite of everything, was basically a final minute opponent for the favored Valdez. Nonetheless, down Valdez went, courtesy of a nasty Lopez left. Valdez managed to beat the rely and finally win the combat, courtesy of a seventh spherical stoppage, however these moments on the mat stayed within the collective reminiscence. Now, the 30-1 Valdez has a shot at erasing that reminiscence as he battles the 16-4 Lopez as soon as once more this Saturday night time on the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The match, which is basically the co-main occasion on the Devin Haney-Vasyl Lomachenko pay per view card, is necessary to the 32 yr outdated Valdez for a wide range of causes. In addition to squaring off once more in opposition to Lopez, Valdez can even be preventing for the primary time since struggling his solely defeat, which got here on the gloved arms of Shakur Stevenson over a yr in the past. Not solely did Shakur place an L on Valdez’ in any other case excellent document, he walked out of the ring that night time with Valdez’ WBC tremendous featherweight title in his possession, courtesy of a unanimous determination nod from the judges.
Valdez, for sure, desires one other crack at title glory. Ought to he greatest the 27 yr outdated Lopez for the second time on this weekend’s scheduled 10 rounder, he’ll discover himself getting nearer to a different probability at that glory. “We would like the perfect, ” Valdez lately informed FightHype. “We would like the WBO, the WBC, the WBA, the IBF (belts). The sky’s the restrict…however for that to occur, I gotta go in opposition to Adam Lopez and end him first.” Certainly. Valdez has good purpose to be assured. The fighter could also be 32 now, however 32 ain’t what it was in boxing.
Plus there’s the matter of expertise. In the midst of his profession, the likeable multi-division titlist Valdez has bested the likes of Scott Quigg and Miguel Berchelt – nobody’s definition of slouches. What’s extra, when one considers the very fact the one loss on Valdez’ resume got here from Stevenson – a person some are saying is without doubt one of the greatest pound for pound fighters on earth – it turns into none too exhausting to image Valdez as soon as once more having a at the least one world title in his possession. As everybody is aware of, huge issues can occur when one returns to at least one’s profitable methods.
