Oscar Valdez Revitalizes His Career With a Big Win at 130
All it takes is one win to change the course of a career. That’s the case for two-division world champion Oscar Valdez (32-2, 24 KOs) after his seventh-round stoppage over Liam Wilson to capture the WBO Interim junior lightweight title. Now back on the winning side of the boxing ledger, Valdez’s star power seems as bright as ever at 130 pounds.
Fighting in front of an adoring and boisterous crowd at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, it was classic Valdez. He had his early problems with Wilson. But in typical fashion, Valdez rallied and used his vaunted left hook to catch, hurt, and ultimately finished off the challenger from Australia.
THE CENTER OF ATTENTION
For Valdez, the impact of this win is significant. Following a unanimous decision loss to Emanuel Navarrete in August 2023, the career of Valdez seemed on the skids. That is no longer the case. He now once again has a belt, albeit an interim world title. More importantly, the two-division champion put himself in position for big fights and a few more big paydays at 130.
Due to his exciting style in the ring and series of fights on ESPN for the past several years, the 33-year-old is a fan favorite and one of the more popular fighters in the lower-weight divisions.
Among those in attendance for Valdez versus Wilson were WBC junior lightweight champion O’Shaquie Foster and IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez. Is that a coincidence? No. Be assured that they understand if they want to have a big-money fight, it will likely mean getting in the ring with Valdez.
Professional boxing is as much about drawing power and bringing numbers to the table as much as anything else. Valdez and his promoter, Top Rank, understand this reality. The grizzled veteran from Sonora, Mexico is looking like the centerpiece of the junior lightweight division.
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