Oscar Valdez v Emanuel Navarrete WBO Title Fight Closer Than Ever Now!
The WBO has ordered a bout between Oscar Valdez (30-1, 23 KOs) and Emanuel Navarrete (36-1, 30 KOs) for their vacant junior lightweight title. A November 19 deadline has been given for both camps to negotiate a deal. If both parties can’t finalize a deal, the fight will go to a purse bid.
The belt became vacant after ex-unified champion Shakur Stevenson missed weight before a September 23 title defense against Robson Conceicao. Currently ranked third by the WBO at 130, Valdez is a two-division champ. He’s been inactive since a unanimous decision loss to Stevenson in a junior lightweight unification contest in April 2022.
Navarrete is also a two-division champ and the current WBO belt-holder at featherweight. But it’s known throughout boxing circles that he has issues making the 126-pound division limit. The 27-year-old has been eying a move up in weight for a while.
A FIGHT FAN’S FIGHT
Valdez is a boxer-puncher. Navarrete is an awkward and aggressive fighter known for his ability to throw punches from all angles. Both men can crack, but they also have leaks, defensively. On paper, it has the makings of a highly entertaining bout. You would have the kind of scrap that hardcore heads would eat up.
Top Rank is the promoter of both. Valdez and Navarrete. The promotional powerhouse previously intimated that the fighters had agreed in principle to fight each other. So, the negotiations should be a mere formality. Word on the street is that the target date is in February 2023. Stay tuned to 3Kings Boxing for further updates.
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
