A solid-looking ten rounder heads a Top Rank-promoted card at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, as Oscar Valdez attempts to rebound from defeat against former world title challenger, Liam Wilson, at super featherweight.
Sky Sports televise Valdez vs Wilson live in the UK, with ESPN on duty in the USA.
Valdez (31-2, 23 KOs) served as WBO champion at featherweight from 2016 to 2019, and was touted as another Mexican star in the making, and enhanced those claims by knocking out Miguel Berchelt in the tenth round to take the WBC super featherweight title in February 2021.
After one defence though, Valdez met his match, with Shakur Stevenson dropping the 33-year-old on the way to a dominant points win.
After a comeback win against Adam Lopez, Valdez took a shot at the WBO super featherweight title in his last outing, but was again clearly outscored, this time by Emanuel Navarrete last August.
He now meets Wilson (13-2, 7 KOs) who met Navarrete six months prior to Valdez, and gave the Mexican all he could handle, dropping the champion in the fourth, before being stopped in a thriller in nine rounds.
The Aussie has been out twice since, taking the vacant WBO International belt in August, and then taking a decision win against Jackson Joe England in December, both in his homeland.
Prediction: Valdez needs to put himself back in the shop window at world title level, and Wilson will come to win, so it should make for a good contest. I favour Valdez to have enough to emerge with a points win.
Valle and Estrada battle it out for undisputed
Undisputed glory is on the line at minimumweight on the undercard, as WBC and WBA champion, Seniesa Estrada (25-0, 9 KOs) takes on IBF and WBO queen, Yokasta Valle (30-2, 9 KOs), for all of the marbles.
After back-to-back defeats in 2017 and 2018, Valle is on a 17-fight winning streak, picking up the IBF belt in 2019, and then adding the WBO strap in 2022, winning every round in Thailand against Thi Thu Nhi Nguyen. Four defences have followed, with the last a points win against Anabel Ortiz last November.
‘Super Bad’ Estrada holds a recent win over Tina Rupprecht, who defeated Valle in 2017, and also routed Anabel Ortiz on the cards in 2021. The Californian was last out in July 2023, taking a decision against Leonela Paola Yudica.
A seven-second KO for Seniesa Estrada. pic.twitter.com/hD0DqHVedo
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) July 25, 2020
Prediction: Estrada is a real talent, and I think she’ll have too much for Valle in this one, and can win clearly on the cards.
Top Rank rising stars get chance to shine
In ten rounders, Mexican puncher, Lindolfo Delgado (19-0, 14 KOs) can defeat his countryman, Carlos Sanchez (25-2, 19 KOs) inside schedule at super lightweight, and at lightweight, Raymond Muratalla (19-0, 16 KOs) can do the same against Xolisani Ndongeni (31-4, 18 KOs).
In eight round action, Richard Torrez Jr (8-0, 8 KOs) should continue his knockout streak against Donald Haynesworth (18-8-1, 16 KOs) at heavyweight, and lightweight prospect Alan Garcia (11-0, 9 KOs) should deal with Gonzalo Fuenzalida (12-3, 3 KOs) by stoppage.
Richard Torrez Jr. is ready to make waves in the heavyweight division 😤 #NavarreteWilson pic.twitter.com/Z5FJ1ixEaL
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) February 4, 2023
At six round level, Ricardo Ruvalcaba (11-0-1, 9 KOs) may need the cards to win his super lightweight encounter against Avner Hernandez Molina (4-3, 0 KOs), and at lightweight, Emiliano Vargas (8-0, 7 KOs) should be able to halt Nelson Hampton (10-8, 6 KOs). Middleweight hope Sergio Leon Rodriguez (10-0-1, 8 KOs) can take a win on the cards against Sanny Duversonne (12-6-2, 9 KOs).
The sole four rounder is at super lightweight, where Art Barrera Jr (3-0, 3 KOs) can bank a points win against Keven Soto (5-1, 3 KOs).
