In a highly anticipated bout, former three-division world champion Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete defends his WBO junior lightweight world title against two-division world champion Oscar Valdez at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Navarrete, aged 28, came dangerously close to a knockout in his previous fight against relatively unknown opponent Liam Wilson in February 2023. Referee Chris Flores’ intervention allowed Navarrete to regain his mouthpiece after it was displaced when Wilson floored him in the fourth round. The pause in action offered Navarrete some crucial time to recoup and survive the round. Meanwhile, Valdez, aged 32, recently displayed a less-than-stellar performance, winning an unremarkable 10-round unanimous decision against second-tier fighter Adam Lopez. The fight, a rematch, featured in the undercard of the Devin Haney vs. Vasyl Lomachenko bout on ESPN PPV in Las Vegas.
Navarrete vs Valdez official trailer: Watch
Interestingly, Valdez came into the fight with Lopez after a 13-month hiatus and a harsh defeat at the hands of Shakur Stevenson. Despite managing to secure victory against Lopez, his performance fell short of his former glory, sparking questions about his current form. Lopez himself had suffered a decisive defeat against Abraham Nova, who, in turn, was dominated by two-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez. This chain of defeats reflects the decline in Valdez’s performance, further underscored by his struggles against Lopez and his one-sided loss to Shakur. As the high-stakes Navarrete-Valdez clash approaches, the boxing community is on edge. Regardless of the winner, they are advised to steer clear of Foster, Robeisy, Cordina, Hector, and Lomachenko, whose skills seem too formidable for Valdez and Navarrete at their current state.
Watch Navarrete vs. Valdez | Made In Mexico | Full Episode: Watch
In the co-main event, Lindolfo Delgado (17-0, 13 KOs) squares off against Jair Valtierra (16-2, 8 KOs). The original co-main event saw an unforeseen twist when lightweight contender Raymond Muratalla suffered an injury during training, leading to his withdrawal from a slated bout against the unbeaten Diego Torres. Consequently, the Delgado-Valtierra fight was elevated to the co-feature slot.
Also in the card, Richard Torrez Jr (5-0, 5 KOs), a Tokyo silver medalist, was originally slated to face Willie Jake Jr (11-3-2, 3 KOs) in March. However, an oblique injury to Torrez postponed the bout.
Main card:
▪️Emanuel Navarrete vs. Oscar Valdez, 12 rounds, for Navarrete’s WBO junior lightweight title ▪️Lindolfo Delgado vs. Jair Valtierra, 10 rounds, junior welterweight ▪️Richard Torrez Jr. vs. Willie Jake Jr., 6 rounds, heavyweight
Prelims: (begins at 8pm ET)
▪️Emiliano Vargas vs. Jorge Marquez Alvarado, 4 rounds, lightweight ▪️Antonio Mireles vs. Dajuan Calloway, 6 rounds, heavyweight ▪️Sergio Rodriguez vs. Eduardo Ayala, 6 rounds, super middleweight ▪️Ricardo Ruvalcaba vs. Adrian Orban, 6 rounds, junior welterweight
Watch the official weigh-in: Watch
