MGM Grand, Las Vegas – After more than one year of inactivity, Oscar Valdez made a successful ring return with a 10-round unanimous decision win in a rematch against Adam Lopez.
Back in 2019, Valdez got off the floor in the second round to score a seventh round stoppage of Lopez.
In the rematch, Valdez (31-1, 23 KOs) pushed the action early, using the head movement he polished under head trainer Eddy Reynoso. The pride of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, had success in hurting Lopez in the third and fourth rounds, but Lopez (16-5, 6 KOs) began landing punches of his own in the following rounds.
However, in the later rounds, Valdez’s constant pressure began to take a clear toll as he nearly stopped Lopez in the final round. Scores: 98-92, 98-91 and 97-93.
Valdez said, “I was trying to be the better fighter. With someone with his speed, you can’t get too confident. I was just trying to be the better and smarter fighter.
Valdez now wants a showdown with WBO super featherweight champion Emanuel Navarrete.
They were scheduled to fight in February, but Valdez was unable to move forward due to injury.
He was replaced by Australian boxer Liam Wilson. In what became near disaster, Wilson badly hurt Navarrete and put him down in the fourth round. He hurt Navarrete at other points in the contest as well. The Mexican slugger would eventually break him down and score a knockout in the seventh.
Valdez is hoping that his fight with Navarette will happen next, with Top Rank targeting that fight for the summer.
“We all want Emanuel Navarrete. Nothing but respect for him. He’s a great champion. The whole world wants to see that fight. Let’s make it happen now,” Valdez said.