Valdez Inches Closer To Being A Champion After Stopping Wilson
With the possibility of being crowned the next WBO junior lightweight champion, Oscar Valdez (32-2, 24KO) scored a sensational knockout to capture the WBO Interim title against Liam “Mr. Damage” Wilson (13-3, 7KO).
Mr. Damage came forward on the front foot, boxing well behind the jab, establishing distance early. He repeatedly hit the two-division champion with sharp counters and brutal body shots that stunned Valdez.
After adjusting his strategy, Valdez lured the Aussie into a phonebooth fight. He attacked the body, hoping to slow down his opponent’s aggression. The momentum was beginning to swing in his favor as the fight went into the middle rounds.
For whatever reason, Wilson decided against using his height and reach advantage, opting to fight up close. He found some success landing body shots and uppercuts. Yet, he paid a costly price for his poor decision after Valdez landed a punishing left hook that wobbled his legs.
The referee watched Mr. Damage extremely close as he took several unanswered shots. Realizing Wilson couldn’t recover, the referee quickly stopped the fight.
As mentioned, Valdez walks away with the interim title but could awarded full champion status, if champion Emanuel Navarrete captures the vacant WBO lightweight title.
