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LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Oscar Valdez already knows the feeling of having a major title around his waist, having done so at featherweight for three years.
It’s the realization of pursuing the title he’s long envisioned since he first began fighting as a youth which raises the emotion level heading into this next adventure.
“I’ve dreamed of this moment since I was a kid, fighting for the WBC title,” Valdez said of his forthcoming challenge of long-reigning WBC junior lightweight titlist Miguel Berchelt. “I’m very excited to go out and accomplish my dreams. I’ve definitely had one of the best training camps ever for this fight. Not just physically but because I feel more mentally prepared than ever before.”
Valdez (28-0, 22KOs) served with pride as the WBO featherweight champ from July 2016 through the summer of 2019 when he officially vacated the belt after six successful title defenses.
The status change came with the intention of campaigning in the junior lightweight division, where has scored two stoppage wins in as many fights. The latter of the two—a 10th round knockout of Puerto Rico’s Jayson Velez last July—set the stage for his long-craved showdown with Cancun’s Berchelt (38-1, 34KOs), who has held the WBC 130-pound title since Jan. 2017 and attempts the seventh defense of his current reign.
Original plans called for the bout to take place last spring, with the coronavirus pandemic postponing the highly anticipated title fight until last December 12th at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. Another delay came when Berchelt tested positive for COVID-19.
The same venue was made available for this weekend’s ESPN headliner, with the two additional months of waiting time only further heightening anticipation. A proud Mexican warrior who represented his birth country in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, the thought of putting the green and gold belt around his waist came up in many dinner conversations throughout his life.
“It will mean the world to me [to win the WBC belt],” Valdez told ESPN’s Crystina Poncher during Thursday’s final pre-fight press conference. “It’s a dream that I’ve had since I was a little kid. It’s not just for me but for my whole family. My father has been there since the beginning, he put the first pair of gloves on me. We’ve been through everything together.
“It’s teamwork. We all want this. This is for me, this is for my family. At the end of the day, this is what puts food on the table.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox