When it comes to world title fights between fighters of Mexican origin, the expectation is always two-way carnage, intensity and persistence.
When three-division champion and WBO junior lightweight titleholder Emmanuel Navarrete faces off against former two-division king Oscar Valdez in August 2023, the pair of all-action fighters will give fans just as much as Navarrete (38-2-1, 31 KOs) to Valdez. Overcame a badly damaged right arm to finish (32-2, 24 KOs), who fought bravely despite a swollen right eye.
All was well, in the end, for Navarrete that night in Glendale, Arizona, when he took the home judges’ scores of 119-109, 118-110 and 116-112 in a unanimous decision. But the last two fights haven’t gone as smoothly for the 29-year-old Gunslinger as he settled for a majority draw against Robson Conceicao last November (despite dropping him twice) before losing a vacant WBO lightweight title to undefeated Denis Berinchik. by split decision.
On Saturday, Navarre will return to 130 pounds as he looks for a third defense of his title in a second fight against Valdez in what will headline a doubleheader featuring a title rematch inside the Footprint Center in Phoenix. In the co-main event, Rafael Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defends his WBO featherweight title against former bellholder Robeisi Ramirez (14-2, 9 KOs) following their thrilling affair last December.
“We all know that we both plan to come out and fight and leave everything in the ring again,” Navarrete said at Wednesday’s final press conference. “And what better way to do that than with a co-main event that will eat things up?”
Valdez, 33, bounced back from a loss to Navarre by knocking out Liam Wilson (whom Navarre stopped in 2023) to claim the WBO interim title and secure a rematch this weekend. Although Valdez has only lost twice in 12 years as a pro, both fights came in the last two years, which is why he placed so much importance on showing the world against Wilson that he’s nowhere near done.
“(The Wilson fight) was very important for me because boxing punishes you if you take a lot of damage,” Valdez said. “It’s not like other sports where you can lose and you can do better the next season. In boxing, most people don’t want to see you after a few losses. So, it was very important for me to have that fight. That’s why after that fight There was so much passion for me and that fight got me the ticket to this rematch.”
In a strange twist, it’s actually Navarre, the defending champion, who enters this rematch coming off a razor-thin loss to Berinchik, which only adds to the motivation he enters to win.
Like Valdez, Navarre lost just twice in 41 fights. But unlike his opponent this weekend, Navarrete’s first loss came in his first year as a professional in 2012, and he’s not looking to add another any time soon.
“I (Valdez) is 100 percent focused,” Navarrete said. “I didn’t think of anything outside of Valdez. And now he’s bringing a different strategy. The first fight helped us learn about each other. And now we’ll use the tools that we got out of the first fight. And, in addition to using our experience with each other. , we will also come with the same heart as last time and so, I can’t say much, but it will definitely be not just a fight but an epic event, especially with the co-chief. Us.”
Valdez, who trains with Canelo Alvarez under head coach Eddie Reynoso, can also match Navarrete with a win as a three-division champion.
“I envisioned it. I think I can do more in sports,” Valdez said. “After I lost, I went home and was obviously sad and disappointed with my performance. But then you go back to the gym, and you start practicing. Then, you start to see that you can do better.
“It’s not an easy fight. It’s a tough job. But nothing in life is going to be easy. It’s always going to be tough. So, we’ve been training hard. I’m excited for it. I’m great ‘Vaquero’ again.” Excited to meet.
Let’s take a closer look at the odds for both title showdowns on Saturday night before making a prediction and expert picks on the main event below.
Battle cards, odds
- Emmanuel Navarrete (c) -250 vs. Oscar Valdez +205, WBO Junior Lightweight Title
- Rafael Espinoza (c)-125 vs. Robeisi Ramirez-105, WBO featherweight title
Where to watch Navarre vs. Valdez
- Date: December 7 Start Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Footprint Center — Phoenix
- TV/Channel: ESPN/ESPN+
Prophecy
One doesn’t need to be an expert to predict that this fight, like their first meeting, has every chance of ending up as a legitimate fight of the year candidate. But for Valdez, the real question surrounds what he might have been able to do differently to change the outcome of their first fight.
Surpassing Navarrete’s six-inch reach advantage is never an easy task as the awkward and sprawling “Vaquero” usually holds a key size advantage over his opponents. A key factor could be a better job of relying on his footwork to mix up his attacks against Navarrete, alternating between boxing and grappling.
Inevitably, however, the two will go to war and, once they do, the advantage will likely shift to Navarre unless Valdez can consistently establish himself with the body and get inside his opponent’s long reach.
But Navarrete’s awkwardness makes him an ever-changing puzzle that isn’t easy to solve. While the violence should meet expectations, once again, on this night, it’s hard to imagine the outcome changing much, except for Valdez finding a way to make it even closer on the scorecard.
sort: Navarrete via MD12
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