Oscar Valdez: My purpose is to check out to overcome what belongs to me, I can be champion once more

Oscar Valdez can be again in motion for the primary time in a yr on Saturday towards a well-recognized foe. The previous two-division titleholder will tackle Adam Lopez in a rematch from 2019. Valdez advised The Ring that he desires to get again to generating the electrifying knockouts his fanatics have change into acquainted with.

Valdez (30-1, 23 KOs) reminisced on how he started boxing. He says that from an excessively younger age, he knew that boxing was once in his blood.

“My circle of relatives was once at all times into sports activities. My father was once the fellow that are supposed to take the entire credit score as a result of my father put me in all various kinds of sports activities: swimming, baseball, and the closing one became out to be boxing,” Valdez stated.

“My circle of relatives could be very massive into boxing. The primary time I if truth be told stepped within the ring at a health club was once when I used to be 8 years previous. I put the gloves on for the primary time, we sparred with some child who was once just a little bit extra skilled than me, as a result of that was once my first time, and we did k within the sparring. Ever since then, guy I fell in love with the game. To at the present time I nonetheless were given the similar pastime, the similar love for the game of boxing as a result of I will be able to actually say that boxing has stored my existence.”

From then on, it was once continuous boxing for Valdez, who’s ranked primary via Ring Mag within the junior light-weight ratings. He appeared as much as the greats of his time like Julio Caesar Chavez and Oscar De Los angeles Hoya. However he additionally discovered that he was once enthralled with Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, two nice champions from that very same time. And whilst Valdez appears as much as Barrera and Morales, he feels he nonetheless has an extended option to pass to equivalent his youth heroes.

“It’s exhausting to perform what they did, guy,” he stated. “Morales being a four-time department champion. Give me the ones superb wars guy. I think like that was once actual boxing. Actual boxing fanatics would experience the ones kinds of fights.”

Oscar Valdez: “My purpose is to change into global champion once more.”

Successful the WBC 130-pound identify with a sensational Eleventh-round KO of countryman Miguel Berchelt was once a dream come true for Valdez. However that dream became to a nightmare simply two fights later when he confronted Shakur Stevenson to unify his belt. That night time resulted in Stevenson successful a lop-sided determination that left Valdez out within the chilly. When serious about that loss, Valdez says that shedding that battle each harm him and motivated him to be higher. He additionally says that not anything may also be carried out in regards to the loss now that Stevenson is at light-weight.

“It was once undoubtedly a tricky tablet to swallow because of the truth that I misplaced towards Shakur Stevenson and it felt like the sector crumbled on me,” he stated. “As a result of after that battle seeing numerous fanatics, seeing people come from in every single place the sector, particularly from Mexico to peer me in Las Vegas, I saved on having a look on the fanatics, and I simply felt dissatisfied that I let my folks down.”

Don’t be expecting Valdez to pursue a rematch with Stevenson now that the undefeated American is campaigning at light-weight, however he says there are many demanding situations at junior light-weight.

“I’m on this place, now, that Shakur left, you realize, there’s no level of me going as much as 135 as a result of I’m a small 130 fighter,” he stated. “So, it might be a flawed transfer for me to check out to transport as much as 135 towards those very massive combatants. So at this time, my purpose is to check out to overcome what belongs to me. I misplaced towards Shakur, now I’m searching for the ones belts which might be vacant. Now, there’s different global champions like Emanuel Navarrete and O’Shaquie Foster. So, my purpose for this yr is to change into a global champion once more.”

It’s been a yr since his closing battle. Valdez is aware of that inaction saps a fighter’s profession, particularly on the level he’s at in his profession. Valdez issues to Eddy Reynoso, his instructor, as to the one who assists in keeping him on the right track and turning into a greater boxer.

“In boxing you by no means quit finding out, particularly with a instructor like Eddy Reynoso,” he stated. “We’re at all times looking to paintings on one thing other. And the primary purpose at this time is solely come again. It’s been a yr because the Shakur battle. One of the crucial issues that kills all combatants is being inactive. So I wish to step that up again into the hoop and do my very best to do away with them to win the battle. In order that’s the primary purpose at this time. Come again and display various things that we’re making improvements to.”

No Power, No Downside

There’s no such factor as drive to Valdez. He loves the eyes on him and likes to field in entrance of the ones eyes. Returning to Las Vegas, survive ESPN PPV, on this kind of massive degree isn’t an issue. He embraces it and enjoys the method of big-time boxing.

“It doesn’t topic if I battle in Vegas, if I battle in China, if I battle in Mexico, battle on ESPN, even battle on any other platform. For me, it’s boxing,” he stated. “It’s simply stepping within the ring and doing what I cherish to do essentially the most combating. I think that I used to be intended to field. I simply can’t wait to come back again. It doesn’t get previous, combating in ESPN.”

With the battle marking the go back of one in every of boxing’s maximum entertaining combatants, Valdez leaves us with yet another word on why to track in to observe him tackle Lopez (16-4, 6 KOs). He drops the names of one of the most largest to ever do it as to his motivation to why he fights the best way he fights. When you don’t learn those names and straight away get intrigued in regards to the battle, there’s no serving to you.

“Each and every time I’m stepping within the ring, I have a look at the entire tapes. I have a look at Roberto Duran and Marvelous Hagler, Tommy Hearns. I have a look at Pipino Cuevas, Salvador Sanchez, the kind of combatants that come ahead and that at all times give us their very best. Then I am going again and I am going right into a dressing room, get able after which we pass out to battle.”