The championship belt is probably not going anywhere, but Oscar Valdez Jr., figures to retain it in Las Vegas instead of Tucson.
Valdez’ first defense of the WBO’s featherweight title against Japanese contender Hiroshige Osawa was officially added this week to the pay-per-view card featuring Manny Pacquiao-Jessie Vargas on Nov. 5 at Thomas & Mack Center.
Top Rank’s initial plan was for Valdez to make his first defense in Tucson, where he grew up, on a later date in November.
Valdez was in Tucson at Casino del Sol for a Univision-televised card featuring Juan Diaz on August 6, two weeks after he won the WBO’s 126-pound belt in a second-round stoppage of Argentina’s Matias Rueda.
Valdez signed autographs and his management team talked about whether to stage his first title defense at an outside pavilion or in one of the Tucson casino’s ballrooms.
But plans changed when HBO said no to the PPV possibility, forcing Top Rank to stage the Nov. 5 card at its own expense. It needs a fighter who can attract a PPV audience and Valdez (20-0, 18 KOs) qualifies. The two-time Mexican Olympian has emerged as one of Top Rank’s bright young talents.
In Osawa (30-3-4, 19 KOs), Valdez faces a fighter who has won eight straight bouts, yet has fought outside Japan only twice – once in Korea and then in General Santos City, Pacquiao’s hometown, in his last one.
Valdez-Osawa is one of three title fights on a card that also includes two-time Chinese Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming (8-1, 2 KOs) and Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym (39-1-2, 24 KOs) of Thailand in a rematch.
The third title fight features Nonito Doniare in a defense of the WBO’s 122-pound title against Jessie Magdaleno of Las Vegas.
At some point, Donaire said he would like to go back up to featherweight in a bid to regain a major 126-pound title. Victories by Donaire and Valdez could set up an intriguing featherweight bout in 2017.
