Emanuel Navarrete defends his WBO super featherweight title against Oscar Valdez in a real crossroads rematch in the USA.
Top Rank promote Navarrete vs Valdez 2, and you can see the action live on Sky Sports in the UK, and ESPN+ in the USA.
The two met in August last year, with Navarrete defending his belt handily on the cards, but it was a brutal showdown that Valdez had his moments in.
Despite being world champion, Navarrete (38-2-1, 31 KOs) hasn’t won in his last two contests. ‘Vaquero’ has reigned as world champion at three weights, with the latest being WBO super featherweight champion, but after defeating Valdez, he was then held to a draw by the awkward Robson Conceicao in November last year, after knocking the Brazilian down twice.
A move to lightweight followed, where Navarrete attempted to rule at a fourth weight, but he was beaten by Denys Berinchyk in San Diego, via a split decision.
He drops back down for this rematch, and one would suspect that Valdez (32-2, 24 KOs) has to rely on Navarrete being on the slide, and him to improve, to win this one.
Valdez made a strong start to his career, with knockout wins aplenty, but his world came crashing down in 2022, when he was dropped and outclassed by Shakur Stevenson in an attempt to add the WBC super featherweight title to his WBO belt.
Two fights later he would lose to Navarrete, but Valdez looked back to somewhere near his best last time out, as he dominated Liam Wilson for a sixth round stoppage in March to take the interim WBO belt.
Prediction: Despite a good win last time out, it’s hard to see Valdez making the necessary adjustments to win this rematch. I think Navarrete can retain on points.
We got our first face-off of the week from the @FootprintCntr 🔥#NavarreteValdez2 | DEC 7 | @ESPN pic.twitter.com/NNlrHYh2Qc
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) December 4, 2024
Another rematch heads the undercard.
In December 2023, Rafael Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) upset Robeisy Ramirez (14-2, 9 KOs) via majority decision to take the Cuban’s WBO featherweight title, and the two run it back this weekend.
Double Olympic champion Ramirez shockingly lost on his pro debut, but later avenged the defeat, and then won the world title with a convincing points win against Isaac Dogboe in April last year.
He would make one defence before losing to Espinoza, in a contest where both were on the deck, but Ramirez suffering a final-round knockdown cost him a draw. Both have been out once since, with Espinoza blasting out Sergio Cherino in four rounds, and Ramirez stopping Brandon Leon in seven, both in June.
Prediction: Ramirez will want to rectify his mistakes of the original fight, and I believe he can. I think he can regain his old belt via close decision.
The tides have turned.
🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿 | #RamirezEspinoza pic.twitter.com/iXymGJAszQ
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) December 10, 2023
Full undercard preview
In ten rounders, Lindolfo Delgado (21-0, 15 KOs) can remove Jackson Marinez (22-3, 10 KOs) from battle before the final bell at super lightweight, and at welterweight, Giovanni Santillan (32-1, 17 KOs) can rebound from his first loss against Brian Norman Jr in his last outing by halting Fredrick Lawson (30-5, 22 KOs).
In eight round action, hard-hitting heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr (11-0, 10 KOs) can win early once again, this time against Isaac Munoz Gutierrez (18-1-1, 15 KOs), and Demler Zamora (14-0, 9 KOs) can do the same in his super featherweight meeting with Roman Ruben Reynoso (22-5-2, 10 KOs).
The way @RichardTorrez21 has his opponents holding on for dear life 🫣#NavarreteValdez2 | DEC 7 | @ESPN & @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/tzI0eHdn1M
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) December 2, 2024
Also at super featherweight, Albert Gonzalez (11-0, 7 KOs) should get past Gerardo Antonio Perez (12-6-1, 3 KOs) on the cards.
In the six rounders, Art Barrera Jr (6-0, KO4) may also need the distance to see off Juan Carlos Campos Medina (4-1, KO3) at welterweight, and at super flyweight, Steven Navarro (4-0, KO3) can stop Gabriel Bernardi Cruz (7-1, KO3).
