By Norm Frauenheim-

TUCSON – Outrage is off the proverbial scale. On the real scale, it is quiet. Almost dull. Controversy magnified by multiple decibels by today’s social-media megaphone could barely be heard Thursday. Oscar Valdez Jr. and Robson Conceicao made weight without debate.

That’s not to say there weren’t some momentary questions. There was guessing about whether Valdez would come in at the mandatory 130 pounds. The doubt was there, inevitable after a week full of allegations and a noisy argument about whether he should be allowed to defend his title Friday at Casino del Sol after his positive test for a stimulant.

The banned substance, phentermine, is an appetite suppressant prescribed to people, mostly obese, who are fighting to lose pounds. If Valdez couldn’t make the junior-lightweight limit, safe to say it would be interpreted as further evidence that reasons for the positive test were less than innocent.

But peace prevailed. It went as planned, not an ounce more or less. Valdez had to take off his socks after his first step on to the scale. Then, officials from the Pascua Yaqui Athletic Commission and onlookers from Conceicao’s corner had to back away from a scale affected by movement on wooden planks from those wanting a closer look.

The third try was perfect, although there were some who might have lost some cellulite while sweating out the outcome. One-hundred-thirty pounds, even. ESPN+, Casino del Sol and the World Boxing Council have a fight, despite the crowd that says they shouldn’t.

The show goes on, one that is expected to attract a capacity crowd at the Casino del Sol’s outdoor AVA Amphitheatre on a day when temperatures in southern Arizona are expected to reach 103 degrees. It’ll be hot at first bell (3:15 p.m. PT).  Then again, it already has been for anybody involved or opposed to the card’s main event.

Conceicao’s manager, Sergio Batarelli, is still surprised it’s happening.

“About a week ago, I wouldn’t have believed it,’’ Batarelli said after Conceicao weighed in at 129.6 pounds. “I still don’t think it should happen. I think they should have just given the title to Robson. But that’s okay. He’ll win it anyway in the ring.’’

That would probably make many happy, especially ESPN commentator Timothy Bradley, a former welterweight champion who expressed his outrage by saying he hopes Conceicao knocks out Valdez.

A lot of ESPN commentators have said the fight should not happen. None of them, however, have gone so far as to say that their employer should pull the plug on televising the controversial bout on the network’s premium channel. All that outrage is a sign there will be more buyers for a bout that was just another title fight before news of Valdez’ positive test broke eleven days ago. But that’s another story.

For now, it a story about Valdez, a son of Sonora. He grew up in Nogales, a border town about 65 miles south of Tucson where he went to school. At home in front of family and old friends, he is fighting to defend a hell of a lot more than just another belt. His credibility, character, is at stake, both Friday and beyond whatever happens against a Brazilian Olympic gold medalist who beat him as an amateur during the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara.

Conceicao has been forgotten amid the furor surrounding Valdez (29-0, 23 KOs). But he would be a threat to Valdez, even without the controversy. He’s unbeaten (16-0, 8 KOS). He’s bigger. After the weigh-in, he looked down – perhaps in more ways than one – on Valdez during the ritual face-to-face pose for the cameras.

“He’s very motivated,’’ Batarelli said. “He’s upset at what happened.’’

A hint at Conceicao’s opinion of Valdez and the surrounding controversy was there in a somewhat cryptic remark translated by Batarelli Wednesday during a news conference.

“About the problem with the champion, what is done is done,’’ Conceicao said, according to the manager’s translation of his native Portuguese. “There is no explanation, but I’m here to do my best and fight the greatest fight of my life.” 

Interpret it anyway you want, it’s a tough fight for Valdez, who has had a lot of them in a career that reached a peak in his knockout upset of feared Miguel Berchelt in his last outing.

On any scale, it might be his toughest ever.

  •   Oscar Valdez 130 lbs vs. Robson Conceicao 129.6 lbs 
(Valdez’s WBC Super Featherweight World Title — 12 Rounds)
Judges: Stephen Blea, Omar Mintun and Chris Tellez
Referee: Tony Zaino

•     Gabriel Flores Jr. 129.6 lbs vs. Luis Alberto Lopez 128.4 lbs 
(Junior Lightweight — 10 Rounds)

(ESPN+, 6:15 p.m. ET / 3:15 p.m. PT)

•  Junto Nakatani 111.4 lbs vs. Angel Acosta 112 lbs 
(Nakatani’s WBO Flyweight World Title — 12 Rounds)

   •   Xander Zayas 151.8 lbs vs. Jose Luis Sanchez 151.6 lbs
 (Junior Middleweight — 6 Rounds)

   •       Lindolfo Delgado 141.6 lbs vs. Miguel Zamudio 140.8 lbs
 (Junior Welterweight — 8 Rounds)

   •   Rene Tellez Giron 132.2 lbs vs. Eduardo Garza 132.6 lbs
 (Junior Lightweight — 8 Rounds)

   •   Omar Aguilar 142.6 lbs vs. Carlos Manuel Portillo 141.6 lbs
 (Junior Welterweight — 8 Rounds)

Óscar Valdez (29-0, 23 KO), making the first defense of his WBC Junior Lightweight title, faces 2016 Olympic gold medalist Robson Conceição (16-0, 8 KO), tomorrow night live from the Casino Del Sol in Tucson, AZ.  The entire card will stream exclusively on ESPN+ (English and Spanish) with undercard at 5:45 p.m. ET and the main card at 10 p.m. ET.

Valdez won the title with a spectacular one-punch knockout of Miguel Berchelt in February.  Both Valdez and Conceição are unbeaten in their professional careers, but Conceição holds a victory in the amateurs over Valdez at the 2009 Pan American Championships.  Conceição is also the first Brazilian boxer to win an Olympic gold medal.

Another world title fight featured on the undercard, Junto Nakatani (21-0, 16 KO) defends his WBO Flyweight title for the first time against former junior flyweight champion Angel Acosta (22-2, 21 KO).  Nakatani is ranked 3rd at flyweight by ESPN while Acosta is ranked 9th.

Top Rank on ESPNValdez vs. Conceição(All Times ET)

*Immediately follows conclusion of Main Card

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By Norm Frauenheim–

TUCSON – Oscar Valdez Jr. is about to step into the ring a little bit like a defendant about to take the witness stand in an attempt to defend himself against charges in the court of public opinion.

He’s doing it in a prizefight that many say is indefensible.

He’s doing it to defend a junior-lightweight title that many say the World Boxing Council should have stripped from him.

He’s doing it amid a furor of allegations from an angry internet crowd that accuses him of lying.

Questions his credibility.

Condemns his integrity.

He’s doing it to defend himself, more than a belt. His defense began Wednesday, a couple of days before opening bell in an ESPN+ fight Friday night at Casino del Sol against Robson Conceicao and eight days after news broke that he had tested positive for a banned stimulant.

Valdez took the stage at a news conference at a small casino just down the road from the AVA Amphitheater about 12 miles from what he calls his second home in downtown Tucson. The controversial belt hung from his right shoulder. Conceicao, an unbeaten challenger and a Brazilian who beat him as an amateur, was there too, alongside junior-lightweight contenders Gabriel Flores Jr. and Luis Alberto Lopez.

But all were there as props and bit players. Valdez was there by himself, solemn-faced and confronted with a lonely battle to defend his character.

“Yeah, it’s a fight to prove I’m a clean fighter,’’ said Valdez, who tested positive for phentermine.

Translation: It’s a fight he has to win long-term and within the ropes against Conceicao, mostly unknown but now a challenger who has gained a groundswell of support from those outraged at Valdez and the decision to go forward with his first defense of a 130-pound title he won in a stunning stoppage of feared of Miguel Berchelt. ESPN boxing commentator Timothy Bradley said he hopes that Brazilian knocks out Valdez.

“I’ve been disappointed, I’ve been angry,’’ said Valdez (29-0, 23 KOs), a two-time Mexican Olympian who returned to his native Nogales on the Mexican side of the border after a few formative years in school in Tucson. “I can’t lie. But I I’ve been very focused on not looking at anything negative out there. It has been a little difficult — I can’t lie — but this is what we have to go through. Sometimes, this is what you have tp go through to prove yourself as a person and a fighter. This is what it’s going to be.

“This is when you realize who the real people are around you, who are loyal to you and got your back. I realize that my family is number one and also my team. I have to thank everyone on my team, {including} my manager, Frank Espinoza, and my trainer, Eddy Reynoso. My father has always been there with me. Just everyone who has been around supporting me during these tough times because it has been difficult. They had my back, and we know we did nothing wrong. We’re going to be real concentrated for this fight.”

His father, Oscar Valdez Sr., has been at his son’s side and in his corner throughout his many triumphs and now his trouble. He believes his son is ready to begin his long fight to answer the allegations with a victory over Conceicao, who beat Valdez at the 2009 Pan American Game in Guadalajara. The fight against Conceicao (16-0, 8 KOs), a gold medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, figured to be tougher than expected even before the news of the positive test broke.

It’s impossible to really know how Valdez will react until opening bell at an outdoor arena in front of what is expected to be a sold-out crowd. But a victory has taken on a sense of urgency brought on by the controversy. Valdez wants to keep himself in the public, perhaps now more than ever. He has a lot of to prove. It’s a burden he never anticipated. And it’s a burden that his many detractors believe will crush him.

But his manager, Frank Espinoza, is confident he has moved on from the controversy and onto the task of beating both Conceicao and the internet crowd with tweets and taunts. After Conceicao, Espinoza says the task will be to prove that the positive test was not intentional.

“We have to,’’ said Espinoza, who said he has some preliminary discussion on how to proceed with Valdez attorney Pat English.

Valdez’ father continued to say that he believed his son tested positive for the stimulant because of herbal tea. He said his son quit drinking coffee and started drinking tea during training. He tested positive on August 13. He tested negative on August 30.

However, it was still unclear Wednesday what kind of tea Valdez was drinking, or where the brew and brand were acquired. This fight – and perhaps controversy – is just beginning.

TUCSON, Ariz. (September 8, 2021) — WBC super featherweight world champion Oscar Valdez, born in Nogales, Mexico and raised in Tucson, Arizona, is ready for his sold-out homecoming. Valdez authored a Knockout of the Year contender over Miguel Berchelt in February and will attempt to successfully defend his title for the first time against unbeaten Brazilian Olympic gold medalist Robson Conceicao (16-0, 8 KOs) on Friday evening at the AVA Amphitheater at Casino Del Sol in Tucson. Conceicao defeated Valdez by one point in the finals of the 2009 Pan American Games, so the amateur rivals have a professional score to settle. 

In the 10-round co-feature, undefeated junior lightweight sensation Gabriel Flores Jr. (20-0, 7 KOs) will take on his stiffest test to date against hard-charging Mexican veteran Luis Alberto Lopez (22-2, 12 KOs). In his last bout, Flores, the pride of Stockton, California, knocked out former world title challenger Jayson Velez in six rounds. Lopez has won five in a row and is best known for last year’s split decision over Andy Vences in one of the best action bouts of 2020.

Valdez-Conceição and Flores-Lopez will stream live and exclusively Friday on ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7p.m. PT.

At Wednesday’s final press conference, this is what the combatants had to say.

Oscar Valdez

“I feel blessed that I get the chance to step in the ring on September 10. I’m very grateful to Top Rank, the Pascua Yaqui {Tribal Gaming Commission} for letting this fight proceed, and I’ve just been very concentrated. Coming here to my second home in Tucson means a lot to me. People know my last two fights were without a crowd due to COVID and what better way to come back as a champion than in front of my people with all of Sonora and Arizona here? I’m just excited. I’ve been very focused on not looking at anything negative out there. It has been a little difficult — I  can’t lie — but this is what we have to go through. This is what it’s going to be.”

“This is when you realize who the real people are around you, who are loyal to you and got your back. I realize that my family is number one and also my team. I have to thank everyone on my team, {including} my manager, Frank Espinoza, and my trainer, Eddy Reynoso. My father has always been there with me. Just everyone who has been around supporting me during these tough times because it has been difficult. They had my back, and we know we did nothing wrong. We’re going to be real concentrated for this fight.” 

“{Our amateur bout} was a back-and-forth fight, but I lost. I always took my losses very seriously. Everybody hates losing, and I’m one of them. I’m a sore loser. Now that I get the chance to fight him as a professional, I’m taking this fight very seriously like all the fights. I’m defending my title, and I’m going to do whatever it takes and whatever I got to defend my title and avenge my loss.”

Robson Conceicao

“When I fought him {as an amateur}, it was a tough fight. I fought him and the crowd, and it motivated me a lot and made me happy. Here we have the same thing. I fight against two opponents, him and the crowd… and I will be the winner.”

“This is a very important moment for me, the most important moment in my life. I’m happy I’m here and not alone. I’m here for the Brazilian crowd, for my family, my team, and we’ll be great.” 

“About the problem with the champion, what is done is done. There is no explanation, but I’m here to do my best and fight the greatest fight of my life.” 

Gabriel Flores Jr.

“Every fight that goes on, I learn. Each fight, I get better and better. It’s a fact. You’re seeing it each fight. This training camp was a long training camp, a longer one because I was supposed to fight on the {Fury-Wilder 3} card, but that got postponed. And now I’m on this card. We took a positive out of a negative. We got sharper. The sparring was great and everything. All my confidence comes from my training. I sparred with real good people that helped me out for this fight. Gervonta Davis. Mark Magsayo. {Yuriorkis} Gamboa. So I’m extremely ready.”

“Lopez is going to get knocked out. He’s going to live up to his name. They call him the deer. He’s going to look like Bambi in there.” 

“I always look at the big picture. I know who I am. I started off early in the pros. I was 17 fighting, so that was me figuring out who I am. I know who I am. I’m comfortable. He just bit off more than he can chew. Friday night, he’s going to choke.”

Luis Alberto Lopez

“It was a great fight that night {against Vences}. Fans that night saw just half of what ‘Venado’ can do. I suffered a fracture in the sixth round, but we got the win. It was a big victory, and I wasn’t 100 percent.”

“He has a lot of flaws. He’s just a kid.”

“There’s a lot of talk, but I have proven I am on this level. He might be a future champion, but I’m here to demonstrate I’m on this level, too.”

FRIDAY, September 10, 2021

ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

Oscar Valdez vs. Robson Conceicao, 12 rounds, Valdez’s WBC Super Featherweight World Title

Gabriel Flores Jr. vs. Luis Alberto Lopez, 10 rounds, junior lightweight

ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT

Junto Nakatani vs. Angel Acosta, 12 rounds, Nakatani’s WBO Flyweight World Title

Raymond Muratalla vs. Jose Angulo, 8 rounds, lightweight

Omar Aguilar vs. Carlos Manuel Portillo, 8 rounds, junior welterweight

TUCSON, Ariz. (September 6, 2021) — Puerto Rico’s next superstar hopes to break through with a statement-making performance under the desert sun. Xander Zayas, the 19-year-old puncher from San Juan, will step up in class when he meets Jose Luis Sanchez in a six-round junior middleweight bout this Friday, Sept. 10 at the AVA Amphitheater at Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Arizona.
 
Zayas-Sanchez and an eight-round lightweight battle between the unbeaten Raymond “Danger” Muratalla and Ecuador’s Jose Angulo will be part of the undercard of Oscar Valdez’s WBC super featherweight world title defense against unbeaten Brazilian Robson Conceição. 
 
The undercard, which also includes WBO flyweight world champion Junto Nakatani’s title defense against Angel “Tito” Acosta, will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT. ESPN+ will also stream Valdez-Conceição and a 10-round junior lightweight showdown between Gabriel Flores Jr. and Luis Alberto Lopez starting at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, limited tickets priced at $25 are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting Etix.com.
 
Zayas (9-0, 7 KOs) has emerged as one of the sport’s top prospects since debuting as a 17-year-old in October 2019. He fought four times in 2020 and has already fought three times in 2021. He shut out James Martin over six rounds in February, blasted out Demarcus Layton in 56 seconds in April, and followed that up with a third-round demolition over Irish veteran Larry Fryers in June. The Fryers fight was Zayas’ welterweight finale, as he’s testing the junior middleweight waters versus Albuquerque native Sanchez (11-1-1, 4 KOs), who is coming off a draw in May against respected spoiler Adrian Granados. Sanchez has not lost since 2013.
 
Muratalla (12-0, 10 KOs), a Robert Garcia-trained Southern California native, has notched seven consecutive knockout wins. The 24-year-old shined a pair of times last year inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble and stood out in May on the Josh Taylor-Jose Ramirez undercard with a fifth-round knockout over 30-fight veteran Jose Gallegos. Angulo (14-2, 7 KOs) has won two straight fights since a majority decision defeat to then-unbeaten prospect Alejandro Guerrero.  
 
In other undercard action on ESPN+:

• 2016 Mexican Olympian Lindolfo Delgado (12-0, 11 KOs), who made his Top Rank debut June 19 with a unanimous decision over Salvador Briceno, returns against Miguel Zamudio (45-16-1, 28 KOs) in an eight-rounder at junior welterweight.
   
• René Telléz Girón (15-1, 9 KOs), who owns a December 2019 knockout victory over top prospect Karlos Balderas, will face Texas native Eduardo Garza (15-4-1, 8 KOs) in an eight-rounder at junior lightweight. Giron has fought once since the Balderas triumph, knocking out Guadalupe Acosta Rodriguez last November in seven rounds.
   
• Mexican junior welterweight knockout artist Omar “Pollo” Aguilar (21-0, 20 KOs) will step up in class against Paraguay’s Carlos Manuel Portillo (22-3, 17 KOs) in an eight-rounder. Aguilar has 15 first-round knockouts on his ledger and has not been extended past three rounds since December 2018.
   
• Tucson’s Jose “Fosforito” Ramirez will make his official pro debut against fellow Arizona native Miguel Ceballos (2-0, 2 KOs) in a four-rounder at junior featherweight. 

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By Norm Frauenheim –

It looks as if Oscar Valdez won the argument. He’s expected to fight, expected to defend his junior-lightweight title on Sept. 10 in a homecoming, according to an ESPN report both in English and Spanish. But he could have never known he’d be going home to so much controversy.

Fight or no fight, the controversy will be there at Casino del Sol, about 12 miles down the road from downtown Tucson where he grew up.

It’ll be in headlines and social media. It’s already been there, a virtual storm of criticism and the usual taunts. Brazilian challenger Robson Canceicao might be a lot easier to beat than questions that promise to come at Valdez like dangerous punches from unseen angles.

Valdez’ title, patience and poise are among the heightened stakes in an expected fight that appeared to be in real jeopardy just a day ago because of a positive test for a reported stimulant.

Three contentious days full of an ongoing debate about whether he should or shouldn’t fight appeared to end late Thursday. The Top Rank-promoted fight is on, according to ESPN’s Mike Coppinger, who cited unnamed sources in his report.

The reported decision to go forward came a day after a Zoom meeting that included Top Rank, Valdez attorney Pat English, the World Boxing Council’s Mauricio Sulaiman and the Pascua Yaqui.

The fight at an outdoor arena adjacent to the casino is subject to approval and jurisdiction by the Pascua Yaqui commission. 15 Rounds could not confirm ESPN’s report. There was no answer to calls to Commissioner Ernie Gallardo’s office at the Pascua Yaqui headquarters. However, the bout was still advertised on both Casino del Sol and Top Rank websites late Thursday.

The reported decision also came down a few hours after news, also from Coppinger, that Valdez’ B-sample tested positive.

Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Who knows? There’s never much clarity, much less certainty, in the hazy, balkanized business of boxing and drugs. We can only be sure that there probably will be another opening bell.

As this one approaches, public and pundits are increasingly split, thumbs up or thumbs down. But it’s not that simple.

Deliberations had been ongoing since the story broke Tuesday on ESPN, which also is scheduled to televise Valdez-Conceicao on its premium channel, ESPN+.

There’s an inherent conflict-of-interest in ESPN’s role. Emphasis on conflict. But boxing wouldn’t have its corner on chaos without the messy mix of conflicting interests. It’s always there, often just beneath the surface, but always ready to emerge with more conflict, confusion and controversy.

That made everything about Thursday’s news volatile, hard to predict. As I wrote early Thursday, the jury was still out. A decision was expected soon. But mostly the controversy raged on, especially on social media.

It’s been noisy enough for ESPN to sell more premium buys for the bout. Yes, that’s cynical. But cynicism, like conflict, is also part of boxing.

Let’s face it, Valdez-Conceicao was interesting.  And it still figures to be more competitive than expected. But it was never a must-see bout. Until now.

Over just a few days, it’s been transformed — turned into a hot-button issue — for fans who might have had a moderate interest, but now have a definite opinion. They’ll buy the telecast.

Add to that, a capacity crowd – about 5,000 – at Casino del Sol’s Ampitheatre. Sellouts, in any sport, have been rare during the Pandemic. This will be an exception.

The Pascua Yaqui is not new to professional boxing. It knows what it’s getting into. The Tribal Commission has been regulating bouts since Fernando Vargas fought there in 2003. It’s also a Commission that’s been caught squarely in the conflict-of-interest web. Fair or not, a sellout will be seen as motivation for the Pascua Yaqui to sanction the bout, despite the positive test for a banned substance.

The Pascua Yaqui commission is aligned with the Association of Boxing Commissions, which means it should follow its guidelines.

Then again, so is the Arizona State Boxing & MMA Commission, which licensed Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. to fight Danny Jacobs in December 2019. Chavez turned to Arizona when Nevada said no after he reportedly ran away from VADA when it showed up at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles prepared to subject him to a a random test.

Chavez got his AZ license and then went on to lose, quitting on the stool against Jacobs, at the Phoenix Suns arena. The crowd erupted, throwing debris in a near-riot. But that’s another story.

Another Arizona story.

This chapter will be controversial for everyone involved, regardless of what happens.

It’s inevitable that discussion at Wednesday’s meeting included an argument that Valdez tested positive for a substance, phentermine, that WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) prohibits only on the day of competition. Valdez’ underwent the test while training mid-August in San Diego.

If Valdez were a UFC fighter, there’d be no doubt.  according to Kevin Iole in a story for Yahoo. WADA rules apply, meaning Valdez would be fighting on Sept. 10 without questions.

But this is boxing, meaning options, loopholes and argument. The Valdez test was conducted by VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Association). WADA, VADA, nobody knows nada. But there’s a difference, minor most of the time but major now.

VADA doesn’t differentiate between in-competition and out-of-competition when it comes to phentermine, which suppresses the appetite for people trying to lose weight. It’s banned, period.

For someone who had plans to cover the fight, I would have been happy if everyone just tested positive for Moderna.

But I understand the argument that Valdez, a good guy, should be held accountable. Perhaps, he was confused. As a two-time Mexican Olympian, he was under WADA rules. As a pro, he’s under VADA rules. Too many different rules mean no rule at all. Confusion is understandable. But not an excuse.

That said, everybody on social media and elsewhere, please, stop condemning Valdez. Please, get off the pulpit. There’s no high ground in boxing. There’s just that messy collection of rules, regs, commissions, acronyms, egos and self-interest.

If Valdez wins, he’ll still have to deal with scarring questions that never go away. His stablemate, Canelo Alvarez, still gets hammered by talk from the cheap seat in social media about whether tainted Mexican beef was the real reason he tested positive for performance-enhancing clenbuterol in 2018.

Meanwhile, boxing continues to sow the confusion that allows it to move on. That’s unfair to Valdez and any other fighter so often caught in the middle.

Don’t blame him. Blame the business.

TUCSON, Ariz. (July 20, 2021) — WBC super featherweight world champion Oscar Valdez authored a title-winning knockout for the ages in February over Miguel Berchelt. For his encore — and the first defense of his title — the undefeated two-time Mexican Olympian will make his desert homecoming.

Valdez (29-0, 23 KOs) will look to make it 30 for 30 against undefeated 2016 Brazilian Olympic gold medalist Robson Conceição on Friday, Sept. 10 from the AVA Amphitheater at Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Arizona.

A native of Nogales, Mexico, Valdez moved to Tucson as a young child and spent his elementary school years there before returning to Mexico.

In the 10-round co-feature, undefeated junior lightweight star Gabriel Flores Jr., from Stockton, California, will fight Mexican veteran Luis Alberto Lopez. Valdez-Conceição and Flores Jr.-Lopez will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets starting at $25 go on sale Tuesday, July 27 at 10 a.m. MST and can be purchased by visiting Etix.com.

“Oscar Valdez is coming off a career-best performance and wants to put on a spectacular showing in front of the great Tucson fans,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Conceição has been waiting for this shot ever since he turned pro, and having promoted him for his entire career, I know he’ll be at his very best. We have a great co-feature, as the young Flores wants to prove he is a contender to watch, and he can do that by beating a tough Mexican in Luis Alberto Lopez.”

Valdez cemented his status as one of the faces of Mexican boxing with his 10th-round knockout over longtime champion Berchelt. He is 8-0 in world title fights, including six defenses of the WBO featherweight world title he won in July 2016. Valdez and Conceição fought as amateurs in the gold medal match of the 2009 Pan American Games, with Conceição prevailing by a single point. Valdez turned pro nearly four years before Conceição (16-0, 8 KOs), who made history as the first Brazilian boxer to capture Olympic gold. A native of Bahia, Conceição made his pro debut in November 2016 on the Manny Pacquiao-Jessie Vargas undercard and knocked out four of his first five foes. Last October, he survived an early knockdown to edge Louie Coria by unanimous decision. He last fought April 10 in Tulsa and knocked out Jesus Antonio Ahumada in the seventh round.

“I am very excited to fight in my second home, Tucson, Arizona, where I will have my first defense of the WBC super featherweight world title,” Valdez said. “It motivates me to know that I will defend the title in front of my friends and my family, and I will be willing to put it on the line as in all my fights. I’m coming to give a great show to my people, and I can’t wait to see you on Sept. 10.”

Conceição said, “I’ve been waiting my whole life for this opportunity, and that’s why I’m training with great determination. I will represent my family and Brazil. I already won a gold medal for my country and now I will bring home a world title. With great determination, I will deliver a great performance. It will be a true spectacle!”

Flores (20-0, 7 KOs) made history in 2017 when, at 16 years old, he became the youngest fighter ever to sign a promotional contract with Top Rank. He went 3-0 in 2020, including a shutout decision over Matt Conway on the Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury II undercard. Flores performed three times inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble, punctuated by a sixth-round stoppage over former world title challenger Jayson Velez in February. Lopez (22-2, 12 KOs), from Mexicali, Mexico, has won five straight bouts since a 2019 decision loss to Ruben Villa. He notched his signature win last July with a split decision over Andy Vences.

“This is the next step in my journey towards a world title, and I will convincingly defeat Lopez,” Flores said. “I’m going to prove once again that I’m ready for the next level.”

Lopez said, “I appreciate matchmaker Brad Goodman and Top Rank for the opportunity to fight Gabriel Flores Jr. I know he’ll be prepared to give everything on Sept. 10, but so am I, and I guarantee nothing but my very best. I’m a man of few words, and I’ll let my actions do the talking inside the ring.”

The undercard, streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+, will feature Japan’s undefeated WBO flyweight world champion Junto Nakatani (21-0, 16 KOs) defending his title against Puerto Rican former world champion Angel “Tito” Acosta (22-2, 21 KOs). Nakatani, who has never fought outside of Japan, knocked out Filipino contender Giemel Magramo in eight rounds last November to win the vacant world title. A former Japanese flyweight champion, Nakatani has won four straight bouts by stoppage. Acosta, who made three successful defenses of the WBO light flyweight crown, has won two fights since a debated 12th-round stoppage at the hands of Elwin Soto. Acosta was leading on all three scorecards when he was stopped on his feet early in the round.

The ESPN+ undercard will also see undefeated Puerto Rican sensation Xander Zayas (9-0, 7 KOs) in a six-round junior middleweight bout against an opponent to be named and lightweight sensation Raymond Muratalla (12-0, 10 KOs) in an eight-rounder.

Also scheduled to appear in eight-round bouts: 2016 Mexican Olympian and junior welterweight prospect Lindolfo Delgado (12-0, 11 KOs), rising junior lightweight René Telléz Girón (15-1, 9 KOs) and Mexican junior welterweight knockout artist Omar Aguilar (21-0, 20 KOs).

About ESPN+
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LAS VEGAS (June 17, 2021) — Undefeated WBC super featherweight world champion Oscar Valdez, the fighting pride of Nogales, Mexico, has signed a new multi-fight promotional agreement with Top Rank. 
 
Valdez (29-0, 23 KOs), a two-time Mexican Olympian, turned pro with Top Rank following the 2012 London Olympics and continues a partnership that has seen him win world titles in two weight classes and become one of the faces of Top Rank on ESPN. 
 
A former WBO featherweight world champion, the 30-year-old Valdez upset the odds and boxed a brutal masterpiece in his last bout, knocking out Miguel Berchelt in a historic all-Mexican showdown to win the WBC super featherweight world title. Valdez is scheduled to return this fall on an ESPN platform. 
 
Valdez said, “I am proud to be part of the Top Rank family. I want to thank Bob Arum and Todd duBoef for their confidence in my abilities. I will not let them down. I also want to thank my manager, Frank Espinoza, for securing a great deal for me. This is a wonderful moment in my career, and I’m grateful to God for my blessings.”
 
“It’s a pleasure to promote a young athlete like Oscar Valdez. He is a true gentleman who is grateful for the help we’ve provided, and he works collaboratively with the company for the mutual benefit of both parties,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “I have been very fond of Oscar from the moment we signed him, and I am proud of everything he has accomplished. I would like to recognize Frank Espinoza, a fantastic manager who has been integral in helping Oscar reach this point.”
 
Added Espinoza, “We are ecstatic that Top Rank and Oscar Valdez are continuing what has been a long and successful partnership. Bob Arum and Todd duBoef recognize Oscar as a special fighter with all the characteristics to make him an all-time great. Oscar has the discipline and passion it takes to reach the top levels of the sport. We’re very proud of what Oscar has achieved so far, and we’re confident he will delight boxing fans with more exciting and memorable fights.”
 
Valdez has been involved in many of this generation’s most savage ring battles, participating in 12-round championship wars against the likes of Genesis Servania and Miguel Marriaga. His March 2018 victory over Scott Quigg represents one of the great feats of fistic courage. Quigg shattered Valdez’s jaw in the fifth round, and Valdez finished the fight to secure a convincing decision win. After six defenses of his featherweight world title, he moved up in weight and set his sights on Berchelt, considered the top fighter at 130 pounds. As a roughly 3-to-1 underdog, Valdez knocked out Berchelt with a left hook in the 10th round to solidify his place as a modern Mexican great. 

By Norm Frauenheim–

Oscar Valdez was motivated by a chance to shut mouths. He did that, including this one. But his compelling stoppage of Miguel Berchelt was – make that is – more than immediate satisfaction gained from silencing the doubters.

It is validation, enduring proof, of who he is. It was there in a victory loaded with lessons for a cynical business short on patience and poise. Quaint notions, both, but Valdez practices them with faith impossible to break. Fracture his jaw, but not his ethics.

They are why he won, leaving the feared Berchelt face- down on the canvas last Saturday. That patience and poise, instead of purses and pound-for-pound claims, are why we’re still talking about a fight that happened nearly a week ago, almost an era today in the social-media’s accelerated time zone. A good guy won in a timeless way.

Maybe, it takes him into a fight with Shakur Stevenson. Or maybe, Gervonta Davis. Already, the cynics are circling, saying he wouldn’t have much of a chance against either. If that sounds familiar, just look at last week’s headlines and odds. Very few suggested that Valdez had any chance.

But cynics beware. Valdez is the defining face of what it is to overcome. A broken jaw didn’t finish him in the rain against Scott Quigg three years ago. He was carried out on a stretcher, looking very much like a fighter who won what some believed was his last stand.

But only his jaw was broken. Not his resiliency. The jaw healed and left a lesson he used to propel himself to what has become a great story for a sport with too few. He started over in a place and in a corner that allowed him to find himself. In Eddy Reynoso, Valdez found his identity.

It was evident in a couple of fight-turning moments midway through the bout. It was further affirmed in colleague Bart Barry’s brilliant column Monday. http://www.15rounds.com/oscar-eddy-and-the-power-of-powerful-questions/

Both are evolving. But that mutual evolution wasn’t clear until those middle rounds, one that could have taken a nasty turn with Valdez instead of Berchelt face-down in the 10-round. Their mutual understanding of what was happening and what was at stake was the key.

Berchelt survived a shaky fourth and began to exert himself. Signs of Valdez, pre-Quigg, were evident. His face was flushed. He looked as if he were about to sacrifice poise and smarts to an instinct that had taken over so often. He would brawl, which was a sure way to lose.

But he didn’t. Reynoso was there to remind him to remember the plan and resist the temptation. It was timely, advice strategically brilliant because of how it was carefully delivered and then stubbornly executed.

The trainer-fighter relationship is often nothing more than personal chemistry. Think Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao. But Reynoso-Valdez looks to be something even more. They’re both students, learning from each other. Teaching each other, too.

Until those moments in the middle rounds of Valdez’ victory for a junior-lightweight title, it was hard to get a solid read on Reynoso. Turns out, that was unfair. He’s best known for Canelo Alvarez, who ranks among the game’s most accomplished fighters.

The assumption was that Canelo would make any trainer look good. Think of Phil Jackson, whose coaching abilities were somehow questioned simply because he had Michael Jordan in Chicago and Kobe Bryant with the Lakers.

Reynoso was a virtual novice when he moved into Canelo’s corner. After Canelo’s lone loss in a one-sided decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013, I still remember the great Rafael Mendoza, a Hall of Fame manager, telling me that Canelo would have to learn on his own.

The insightful Mendoza, a former Mexico City sportswriter, had worked with Canelo early in his career. Both lived in Guadalajara. But he split with Canelo, he said, because he wanted Eddy and his father, Chepo, to hire a more experienced trainer.

The Reynosos were there for Canelo in the beginning, but as investors not as trainers. Mendoza, who died in May 2018, wanted a more experienced voice. Not sure who he had in mind, but I’m guessing Mexican legend Nacho Beristain, whom he brought into Humberto Gonzalez’ corner after a 1993 loss to Michael Carbajal. With Beristain, Gonzalez won the next two fights in a junior-flyweight trilogy, beating Carbajal by narrow decisions in both.

We’ll never know how Canelo would have fared with Beristain instead of Eddy Reynoso. By then, Beristain was more of a revered teacher, an authoritarian never to be questioned. But I’m betting Mendoza would be applauding how Eddy Reynoso has transformed himself into the best trainer of the day. He listens, and It’s clear that Valdez and Canelo listen to him.

It’s that intriguing evolution that makes watching worthwhile. I’ll even watch Canelo Saturday against the longest of longshots, 50-to-1 underdog Avni Yildirim, in a super-middleweight title fight (DAZN 8 pm ET/5 pm PT) at the Dolphins stadium in south Florida. However, I wouldn’t watch if not for what was seen in Valdez’ triumph over Berchelt.

The head movement, jab and footwork exhibited by Valdez have been there at an ever-improving rate in Canelo.

They’re still learning.

So, too, are we all.   

By Bart Barry-

Saturday in Las Vegas undefeated Mexican Oscar Valdez dropped Mexican titlist Miguel “El Alacran” Berchelt, The Ring’s number one super featherweight, thrice and stopped him violently in round 10.  Carcrash violently.  It was a much-anticipated match, broadcast by ESPN and promoted by Top Rank, that saw the underdog win in what was, but for a few rounds in its middle, a rout.

This was the sort of definitive ending to a definitive fight you wish on anyone who signs up for prizefighting and so few attain.  Nothing polemical, nothing squishy, nothing for unperspectivèd pundits to unpack.  A fully realized lefthook that dangled the larger man and champion in a space between his ongoing lightness and a perpetual darkness.

Valdez reacted dramatically, crying-out and making running circles.  Nowhere to put all that emotion.  A complete loosening of a man who appeared so tight for so long.  There was a cultural element to it all, too, that solely a Mexican would understand about another Mexican.

You could feel elation for Valdez even as you felt dread then sympathy for Berchelt even as you felt relief, perhaps, for our beloved sport.  When it gets it right and definitive, there’s nothing like boxing, is there?

There was a moment in the match a quarterhour before Valdez’s lefthook that felt unique.  Immediately after round 6, one that saw Berchelt in the middle of his best four-minute run of the fight, Valdez walked to his corner and had the following exchange with his chief second, Eddy Reynoso:

ER: ¿Cómo te sientes?

OV: Bien.

ER: ¿Cómo lo sientes a él?

OV: Cansado.

(ER: How do you feel?

OV: Good.

ER: How does he feel to you?

OV: Tired.)

It struck me immediately it was the first time I recalled hearing a trainer give so much trust to his charge’s judgment during a prizefight.  Lore and tradition tell us the trainer is a father figure, often saintly, and the fighter is an impetuous child, often ungrateful.  Part of the reason folks went in for and still do go in for the Cus D’Amato mythos, aside from Mike Tyson’s untiring salesmanship, is because tradition so well prepared us for the relationship D’Amato told everyone he had with Tyson and Tyson now tells everyone he had with D’Amato.

If that’s too American, here’s a Mexican version: Nacho Beristáin and the Brothers Marquez.  Before Rafael’s third match with Israel Vazquez, Nacho memorably opined, “If Rafael obeys (me), he will win.”  You can count on your fist the number of times Nacho or Coach Freddy asked Juan Manuel or Manny how the other guy was feeling during their 126 minutes of combat.

I ask you how you’re doing then I tell you how your opponent is doing – that’s the gist of the trainer-fighter dialogue, if the trainer doesn’t begin by telling the fighter, too, how he is feeling.  If, as Oscar Wilde wrote, all bad poetry is sincere, so too is all bad corner advice.

Eddy Reynoso is a new generation of trainer.  He has guided, generally gently, our sport’s alpha predator, Canelo Alvarez, to an unlikely state of constant improvement.  Canelo has taught Reynoso how to run a corner.

Surely Reynoso saw with the rest of us Berchelt’s gathering strength in round 6, even if Reynoso probably didn’t expect Berchelt to be emergent as he was in round 7.  Yet before Reynoso began strategizing and stuffing 10 minutes of instructions in 50 or so seconds, he gathered intelligence from Valdez.  A little of that may’ve been curiosity, Reynoso’s wishing to confirm his own intuition.  More of that, though, was proper coaching.

Reynoso wanted Valdez to hear himself confirm his own intuition.  Do believe had Valdez’s replies been disordered – I feel tired, and he feels strong – Reynoso would have altered his advice accordingly.  That is the mark of a great coach.  Reynoso was wholly present, in the moment with his charge, not lost in a thicket of his own pastround observations.  That’s why Reynoso was able to ask a question that began with the word how.

As generations of legal dramas have taught us, yes-no questions are only about confirming already held assumptions: “You feel fine, right?  And he’s tired, isn’t he?”  Questions of that sort are useless to a coach.  The opposite point on the spectrum – questions that begin with what and allow the speaker to learn about himself – would not have been appropriate in the middle of a confrontation like Saturday’s, either, though they’d be damn potent in a training camp.

We hear so often about a fighter’s need to trust his trainer.  Here is a new direction, call it Sendero Reynoso, by which a trainer learns to trust his fighter.

Valdez’s assessment of Berchelt at Saturday’s midway point mightn’t have been flawless – there’s plenty of machismo in any Mexican prizefighter (machismo for which Reynoso has an automated filter, of course) – but Valdez’s hearing himself say Berchelt was tired absolutely helped Valdez make it through round 7 and begin to change the fight back in round 8.  Which is not to imply Valdez lacked confidence at any moment Saturday.

Confident or not, though, there was a little Margarito-Cotto 1 energy (I know you felt it too) when Berchelt started taking runs at Valdez in rounds 6, 7 and 8.  There was nothing inevitable in round 7, then, about Valdez’s vindication in round 10.

An ending like what Valdez put on Berchelt and every expert who doubted him (I wasn’t asked to offer a prediction but am confident I’d’ve been wrong as everyone else) is what we seek in sport.  Something so decisive, so final, you’ve no choice but to shut-up and nod.  ¡Felicidades, Oscar!

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Oscar Valdez had a star-making performance as he brutally knocked out Miguel Berchelt to win the WBC Super Featherweight Title at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas.

Valdez showed he was the quicker fighter from the outset as he landed some hard and flush left hooks from the outset.

In round four, Valdez landed a left hook to the head that wobbled Berchelt. Later in the round, it was two more left hooks that sent Berchelt into he ropes which was correctly ruled a 10-count.

Valdez continued to dominate as he busted up Berchelt, and at the end of round 10, he landed a vicious left hook to the head and Berchelt slowly crumpled over his legs and face-first to the canvas. The fight was stopped immediately at 2:59.

Valdez, 130 lbs of Nogales, MEX is 29-0 with 23 knockouts. Berchelt, 130 lbs of Cancun, MEX is 30-2.

Valdez said, “There’s nothing better in life than proving people wrong. I have a list of people who doubted me. My idols doubted me. Boxing analysts doubted me. They said Berchelt was going to knock me out. I have a message to everybody: Don’t’ let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do.
 
“I want to take this belt home, and I’m happy for that. Any champion out there… I heard Shakur Stevenson wants to fight. Let’s do it. I just want to keep on fighting and give the fans what they want.”

Gabriel Flores Jr. stopped former world title challenger Jayson Velez in round six of a scheduled 10-round super featherweight bout.

In round six, Velez dropped Velez with a hard left hook. Flores then wobbled Velez badly with another counter shot, and Velez was in all kinds of trouble. Velez ended the bout with another left that put Velez down and the fight was topped at 1:40.

Flores Jr.132 lbs of Stockton, CA is 20-0 with seven knockouts. Velez, 132 lbs of Juncos, PR is 29-8-1.

Flores said, “I could’ve done it earlier. I was playing with my food. {Trainer Gabriel Flores Sr.} told me I just gotta press it. Nothing was really going on those first five rounds, to be honest. I was just feeling him out. 

“I would love to get the winner of Jamel Herring and Carl Frampton. I’d love that. I’m going to keep on working, and my performances are going to get better and better.”

Esquiva Falcao stopped Artur Akavov after round four of a scheduled 10-round middleweight bout.

Falcao controlled the bout until Akavov’s corner stopped the fight in the corner as Akavov cited a possible broken nose.

Falcao, 162 lbs of Visoria, BRA is 28-0 with 20 knockouts. Akavov, 162.5 lbs of Pskov, RUS is 20-4.

Elvis Rodriguez remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Luis Alberto Veron in a junior welterweight bout.

Rodriguez landed 97 of 342 punches; Veron was 71 of 348

Rodriguez, 13 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR won by scores of 79-73 twice and 78-74 and is now 11-0-1. Veron, 142 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG is 18-3-2.

Rodriguez said, “This was my first scheduled eight-round fight, and I actually think I got a lot of good experience. Each fight, you acquire something different, and for this fight, I think the experience of going the rounds actually helped me out.
 
“It’s a great experience going the full eight rounds. It’s back to the gym to work on several things, specifically I know I needed to let my hands go a little more. When I did do that, I was able to hurt him. But in the end, I think it was a great experience. He’s a natural welterweight. He’s never been stopped, so I knew it would be a tough challenge, but you know I will go back to the gym and work harder to continue to grow in this sport.

Xander Zayas remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over James Martin.

Zayas, 146 lbs of San Juan, PR won by scores of 60-54 on all cards, and is now 7-0. Martin, 146 lbs of Philadelphia, PA is 6-2.

Zayas said, “As a young fighter, you need these types of fights. I haven’t been out of the first round in nearly a year, so for me to get six round in, that was important.”

Javier Martinez made short work of Billy Wagner by stopping him in the opening round of their four-round middleweight bout.

Martinez landed a booming right hook that buckled Wagner, and three ripping punches later, the fight was stopped at 1:51.

Martinez, 161 lbs of Milwaukee, WI is 3-0 with one knockout. Wagner, 160 lbs of Great Falls, MT is 3-2.

Omar Rosario stopped Uriel Villanueva in round two of their scheduled four-round junior welterweight bout featuring undefeated fighters.

In round two, Rosario dropped Villanueva with a left hook to the body. Seconds later, It was another left hook to the body that sent Villanueva to his knee and he did not beat the count of 10 at 2:38.

Rosario, 140 lbs of Caguas, PR is now 3-0 with one knockout. Villanueva, 140 lbs of Anaheim, CA is 1-1.

(ESPN & ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT)

    •     Miguel Berchelt 130 lbs vs. Oscar Valdez 130 lbs 
(Berchelt’s WBC Super Featherweight World Title — 12 Rounds)

•   Gabriel Flores Jr. 132 lbs vs. Jayson Velez 132 lbs 
(Junior Lightweight — 10 Rounds)

(ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT)

•   Esquiva Falcao 162 lbs vs. Artur Akavov 161.5 lbs 
(Middleweight — 10 Rounds)

•      Elvis Rodriguez 143 lbs vs. Luis Alberto Veron 142 lbs 
(Jr. Welterweight  — 8 Rounds)

•        Xander Zayas 146 lbs vs. James Martin 146 lbs 
(Welterweight — 6 Rounds)

•        Sonny Conto 221.5 lbs vs. Waldo Cortes 255.5 lbs 
(Heavyweight — 4 Rounds)

•         Javier Martinez 161 lbs vs. Billy Wagner 160 lbs 
(Middleweight — 4 Rounds)

•         Omar Rosario 140 lbs vs. Uriel Villanueva 141 lbs 
(Jr. Welterweight — 4 Rounds)

By Norm Frauenheim–

Harm’s way is often the only way for Oscar Valdez. He has survived there. Prevailed there. Instinct has taken him there in a risky path toward danger and away from a safer route.

Safe, of course, is a relative term. In the ring, there’s no refuge. There’s no real escape, but there is elusiveness in tactics taught by wise trainers and booed by the blood-lust demographic in the boxing crowd.

Therein, rests the dilemma.

And the drama.

Both are there for Valdez (28-0, 22 KOs) Saturday night (ESPN 10pm ET/7pm PT) against a junior-lightweight with a presence that puts a defining face onto harm’s way. A feared face. Miguel Berchelt has size, power, a five-and-a-half-inch advantage in reach and stoppages in each of his last six fights.

In body and spirit, Berchelt (37-1, 33KOs) has the look of somebody built to inflict the pain in what Mike Tyson once called the hurt business. Get in his way and he’ll do the harm.

There’s peril there, possibly as much as Valdez has ever faced in what will be only the third bout at 130 pounds for the former featherweight champion.

It’s enough for the oddsmakers to force Valdez into a new role. For the first time, he’s the underdog. SportsBettingDime makes Berchelt a minus-190 favorite. At other books, the number is at about 4-to-1 and climbing, all in favor of Berchelt, the defending champion. Translation: Nobody gives Valdez much of a chance in the Top Rank bubble at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

Even Mexican icon Julio Cesar Chavez is picking Berchelt in what could prove to be another chapter in the Mexican tradition of blood and guts.

“Julio Cesar Chavez says Berchelt will win this fight,’’ said Valdez, who during a Zoom session talked about how he has found motivation in the one-sided odds. “Doesn’t bother me. A great thing about boxing is shutting mouths.’’

The pre-fight promotion includes inevitable parallels to Erik Morales-versus-Marco Antonio Barrera and Israel Vazquez-versus-Rafael Marquez. History sells. Hype does, too.

“The winner, I believe, can be the next superstar in Mexico,’’ said Berchelt, who is anxious to fulfill a dream he has had ever since he was a kid watching the Morales-Barrera trilogy.

History is probably a reach, but the potential for a memorable fight, if not a classic, is there in large part because of what has already been seen from Valdez. There’s been blood. And guts. He’s encountered, if not embraced, adversity. He endured it. And conquered it.

That was never more evident than nearly three years ago on a rainy, chilly night in Carson, Calif.  Beneath a tarp, Valdez fought Scott Quigg, who missed the 126-pound mandatory and was weaponized by several pounds of added leverage at opening bell.

Valdez manager Frank Espinoza advised him not to fight after the scale fail. But Valdez, never one to back away, said no and moved forward, straight into harm’s way. Espinoza saw what could happen.

In the fifth, Quigg broke Valdez’ jaw. For the next seven rounds, Valdez boxed, brawled and bled. After it was all over, the rain washed away footprints and debris from the canvas. Only the stain in the Valdez corner remained from the blood he had spilled, spit up between rounds.

He was the winner. But it was hard to celebrate. Even a smile had to hurt as he was placed on a stretcher and into an ambulance after scoring a decision, a unanimous testament to his courage. The experience, he says now, is a source for confidence.

“The broken jaw made me a better fighter, because I know I can compete when I’m hurt,’’ he said.

Proof of that had been delivered more than once. He fought through pain and a surprising challenge from Filipino Genesis Servania in September, 2017 in Tucson, where the two-time Mexican Olympian went to school and still has family.

In April of that year, he was way ahead on the scorecards against a dangerous challenger, Miguel Marriaga, yet he waved at him in an invitation to brawl in the 11^th and 12^th rounds. He was doing it for the fans, he said. He wanted to give them a show.

After his jaw healed in the months post Quigg, Valdez changed trainers, leaving Manny Robles for Eddy Reynoso, Canelo Alvarez’ trainer. He’s been with Reynoso for four fights. He has tried to replicate the head movement and defense so evident in Canelo’s ever-evolving style.

Valdez says he has worked at adding more options. Yet even with Reynoso in his corner, he got knocked down by a late sub, Adam Lopez, in 2019. He went on to win a seventh-round TKO.

“Being with Eddy has made me a more complete fighter,’’ Valdez says. “I don’t think people have seen me at my best.’’

Against Berchelt, Valdez says there are options.

“Plan A, Plan B, Plan C,’’ said Valdez, whose Olympic resume includes training in the game’s defensive fundamentals.

He might need all three and a few more. Plan D, E, F and G. Then again, if those plans break like that jaw, Valdez might be at his dangerous best. In his unbeaten run, Valdez has been a little bit like Michael Carbajal, a Hall of Fame junior-flyweight who grew up in Phoenix, about 180 miles north of Nogales, Valdez’ hometown in Mexico.

Carbajal, like Valdez, was at his best when he was hurt. A badly-bloodied and seemingly-beaten Carbajal knocked out Jorge Arce in 1999. Carbajal got up from two knockdowns to knock out Humberto Gonzalez in 1993.

Harm’s way is a dangerous way. For some fighters, however, there’s no other way  

This Saturday, Feb. 20, Top Rank on ESPN will be home to an all-Mexican championship clash when two of the sport’s most decorated action heroes – WBC super featherweight world champion Miguel Berchelt (38-1, 34 KOs) and former featherweight world champion Oscar Valdez (28-0, 22 KOs) clash in the highly anticipated showdown live from the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Live coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET, with undercard action on ESPN+ (in English and Spanish). Main event coverage begins at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+ (in English and Spanish).

Berchelt vs. Valdez will re-air on ESPN Deportes, Sunday, Feb 21 at 1 a.m. ET / 10 p.m. PST and 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT.

The co-main will feature a 10-round junior lightweight special attraction featuring undefeated 20-year-old Gabriel Flores Jr. against former world title challenger Jayson Velez. The featured bout on a loaded ESPN+ undercard matches unbeaten Brazilian middleweight contender and former Olympic Silver Medalist Esquiva Falcao against two-time world title challenger Artur Akavov. Also on the ESPN+ undercard are some of the top blue-chip prospects in the sport including Dominican knockout wizard Elvis Rodriguez and 18-year old Puerto Rican wunderkind Xander Zayas.

Fight week and fight night programming will feature ESPN’s boxing commentary team, including veteran broadcaster Joe Tessitore for ringside commentary, alongside 2021 International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee, former two-division world champion and 2004 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward, and future Hall of Famer Timothy Bradley on the analysis. The onsite location desk team will feature ESPN’s boxing reporter Bernardo Osuna and ESPN’s boxing insider Mark Kriegel. 

Fight week coverage includes:

• SportsCenter (Fri-Sat.): Bernardo Osuna to host segments for ESPN’s flagship news and information program from Las Vegas
• LIVE – Berchelt vs. Valdez Final Press Conference: Thurs at 3 p.m. ET on the ESPN App and YouTube.com/ESPN
• LIVE – Berchelt vs. Valdez Official Weigh-In: Fri at 5 p.m. on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, and streaming live on the ESPN App
• Max on Boxing (Fri at 5:30 p.m., ESPN2): ESPN’s boxing series, hosted by Max Kellerman, will air immediately following the weigh-in and include interviews with Berchelt and Valdez.
• ESPN’s marketing creative features music from the track, “Coming For Blood” by Slick Naim featuring Break Out the Crazy.  
• Blood, Sweat & Tears: Berchelt vs. Valdez: a two-part, behind-the-scenes look at the fighters’ camps, streaming on demand now on the ESPN App (Part 1, Part 2)
• Real Time: Berchelt vs. Valdez: all-access social media series follows the fighters throughout fight week, with new episodes posted daily

ESPN.com

• Berchelt-Valdez Expert Picks:
• Thursday: 12 Rounds: Berchelt-Valdez breakdown by Andre Ward
• Friday: The heart of a fighter: Mark Kriegel on Valdez-Berchelt
• Saturday: Ringside Seat – Everything you need to know about Berchelt-Valdez

ESPNDeportes.com will feature pre-and-post fight features, videos, daily reports, stats, as well as real-time fight score and analysis.

Top Rank on ESPN(All times Eastern)

LAS VEGAS (February 18, 2021) — The Battle for Mexico is almost here. WBC super featherweight world champion Miguel Berchelt and former featherweight world champion Oscar Valdez shared the stage Thursday two days before one of the most highly anticipated all-Mexican showdowns in boxing history.

Berchelt is seeking his seventh successful title defense, while Valdez hopes to fulfill a lifelong dream of capturing a WBC world title. After fits and starts, including Berchelt’s COVID-19 diagnosis last year, the fight is finally happening. 

Berchelt-Valdez and a junior lightweight showdown between Gabriel Flores Jr. and Jayson Velez will air live Saturday on ESPN and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET. 

At Thursday’s final press conference, this is what Berchelt, Valdez, Flores and Velez had to say.

Miguel Berchelt

“I’m very happy to be here. I’ve been following Oscar since the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, since that was an opportunity I wanted for myself. I respect him. We know the quality of the opponent we have in front of us, but I’m here to get the win and {retain} my title.”

“Styles make fight, and I believe my style and Oscar’s style will make for a great fight, so we’ll see what happens.”

“I want to tell my fans not to miss this fight. This is going to be a great fight. I know what it’s taken me to get this title, and I’m sure I will defend this title successfully again.”

Oscar Valdez

“This is a difficult fight. There’s a reason he’s holding that belt. He’s a great champion inside the ring and outside the ring. Nothing personal, but I want that belt. It’s a dream I’ve had ever since I was 8 years old, 9 years old. My idols have held it: Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez, Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera. They all held this belt, and that is something I’ve wanted to hold since I was a kid. This is my opportunity.”

“Everywhere I go in Mexico, I get asked that question: ‘When are you and Berchelt going to fight?’ It would be an honor for me to show them a great fight with a warrior like Miguel Berchelt.”

“This is my opportunity. I’m not going to go in there and not give it my all. I’m going to do whatever it takes. If I have to box, I’ll box. If I have to bang it and brawl it out, then I’m willing to do that, too.”

Gabriel Flores Jr.

“The hard work is paying off. My team is working. We’re going to put that on display Saturday night.”

“Saturday night, I’m going to take control of the fight. I’m going to be in there, and I just can’t to be in the moment and show you guys that I’m ready for a world title shot.”

“Jayson Velez has fought some contenders and good people. He’s the best on paper, but my job Saturday night is to make him not look like my best opponent thus far.”

Jayson Velez

“{Flores} has the skills. He has the talent. This is what I need to prove I can be at the top level. I like to bring action to the fans. This is going to be one of the great fights.”

“He is a technical fighter. He has skills, but sometimes he stops to fight. He’s a very complete fighter, and I like that because some time in the fight he will have to stop {and fight}. And that’s what I want. That’s what I like, and that’s what people like. I expect him to use his skills for a few rounds. Eventually, we will bring the action to the fans.”

FIGHT WEEK SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, February 19, 2021Official Weigh-In
5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT
LIVE on ESPN2

Max on Boxing
5:30 p.m ET/2:30 p.m. PT
ESPN2
ESPN’s boxing series, hosted by Max Kellerman, will air immediately following the weigh-in and include interviews with Berchelt and Valdez.

SATURDAY, February 20, 2021

ESPN & ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

Miguel Berchelt vs. Oscar Valdez, 12 rounds, WBC Super Featherweight World Title

Gabriel Flores Jr. vs.. Jayson Velez, 10 rounds, junior lightweight

ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT

Esquiva Falcao vs. Artur Akavov, 10 rounds, middleweight

Elvis Rodriguez vs. Luis Alberto Veron, 8/6 rounds, junior welterweight

Omar Rosario vs. Uriel Villanueva, 4 rounds, jr. welterweight

LAS VEGAS (February 4, 2021) — Brazilian middleweight contender Esquiva Falcao is coming back to America. After a pair of knockout wins last year in his home nation, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist will take on two-time world title challenger Artur Akavov in a 10-rounder Saturday, Feb. 20 from MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
 
In a junior welterweight special feature scheduled for eight or six rounds, knockout wizard Elvis “The Dominican Kid” Rodriguez will face Argentine veteran Luis Alberto Veron.
 
Falcao-Akavov, Rodriguez-Veron and additional undercard bouts will stream live on ESPN+ at 6:45 p.m. ET/3:45 p.m. PT. The evening continues live on ESPN & ESPN3 (in Spanish) (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) with the all-Mexican showdown between WBC super featherweight world champion Miguel Berchelt and former world champion Oscar Valdez, and junior lightweight contender Gabriel Flores Jr. against former world title challenger Jayson Velez.
 
Falcao (27-0, 19 KOs), ranked No. 5 by the IBF and WBO, is a seven-year pro who ended his sterling amateur career with a 215-15 record. He has won four consecutive bouts by knockout, including an eighth-round stoppage over Mexican veteran Jesus Antonio Gutierrez in July 2019. Akavov (20-3, 9 KOs) nearly dethroned WBO middleweight world champion Billy Joe Saunders in December 2016, dropping a controversial decision. He challenged for the same world title in January 2019 and was bested by Demetrius Andrade en route to a 12^th-round TKO loss. Akavov last fought in October 2019 and knocked out 50-fight veteran Sergei Melis in five rounds.

Falcao said, “I am ready to face the best in my division. My opponent is a good boxer, but I am better and I am ready to become a world champion. No fighter will stop me. I’m training very hard with Robert García. I’m sparring with the best because I am one of the best. On February 20, I will show the world once again that I am ready to become a world champion.”
 
Rodriguez (10-0-1, 10 KOs) emerged as one of boxing’s hottest prospects in 2020, going 5-0 with five knockouts, including four headline-making stoppages inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble. He last fought Oct. 9 and became only the second man to knock out 37-fight veteran Cameron Krael. Veron (18-2-2, 9 KOs) has never been knocked out as a professional and is a former WBO Latino and South American welterweight champion. He is coming off a competitive decision defeat to 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Taras Shelestyuk in January 2020.

Rodriguez said, “I want to show that I am ready for the big fights. I think I deserved to be the Prospect of the Year. Not being named Prospect of the Year has motivated me more than ever. I am here to become a world champion. I am very grateful for the opportunities Top Rank is giving me and for the efforts of my entire team. I am going to show who I am through my actions in the ring, not through words or social media.”
 
In other ESPN+ streaming action:

• Xander Zayas (6-0, 5 KOs), the Puerto Rican prodigy who celebrated his 18^th birthday last September, will clash with Philadelphia native James Martin (6-1) in a six-round welterweight fight. Zayas signed with Top Rank at 16 years old and hopes to extend his knockout streak to four against Martin, who has never been stopped in the paid ranks.

  “Since my last fight, I’ve had an extended camp and have been fortunate to spar numerous world champions and top fighters, which has provided me a wealth of experience,” Zayas said. “I’m excited to fight on February 20 and put on a show for my fans.”

• Unbeaten junior lightweights collide when California Central Valley favorite Bryan Lua (7-0, 3 KOs) fights Puerto Rican prospect Frevian Gonzalez (4-0, 1 KO) in a six-rounder. Gonzalez and Lua won two fights apiece inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble last year, with Lua scoring a highlight-reel knockout over Luis Norambuena in his first fight following a 27-month layoff.
   
• Sonny “The Bronco” Conto (6-0, 5 KO), South Philadelphia’s latest heavyweight hopeful, is set to return from a 13-month layoff against Waldo Cortes (6-3, 3 KOs) in a four-rounder. Conto battled assorted injuries throughout 2020, but he is ready for a busier 2021. Cortes fought Bubble favorite Kingsley Ibeh last June, giving as good as he received before being knocked out in the fourth round.
   
• Milwaukee-born middleweight sensation Javier Martinez (2-0) will make his third appearance inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble, this time in a four-rounder against Montana native Billy Wagner (3-1, 1 KO).
   
• One of Puerto Rico’s brightest young talents, Omar Rosario (2-0), will make his Las Vegas debut in a four-round welterweight tilt versus fellow unbeaten Uriel Villanueva (1-0). Rosario, a 23-year-old from Caguas, won the 2020 Olympic Trials for his home nation at 152 pounds before electing to turn pro.
• Use the hashtag #BercheltValdez to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside.
   

About ESPN+
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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $59.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) — all for just $12.99/month.

LAS VEGAS (January 14, 2021) — Undefeated super featherweight standout Gabriel Flores Jr. will fight former world title challenger Jayson Velez in a 10-round tilt Saturday, Feb. 20, as the co-feature to the highly anticipated all-Mexican showdown between WBC super featherweight world champion Miguel Berchelt and former featherweight kingpin Oscar Valdez.

Velez replaces former world champion Andrew Cancio, who suffered a back injury.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Berchelt-Valdez and Flores-Velez will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Velez (29-7-1, 21 KOs), from Juncos, Puerto Rico, makes a quick comeback to the ESPN airwaves following his spirited effort against Valdez last July. He lost via 10^th-round TKO after suffering a pair of knockdowns in that round. A 14-year pro, Velez has victories over former two-weight world champion Juan Manuel Lopez, former WBC super bantamweight world champion Victor Terrazas and then-unbeaten prospect Alberto Mercado.

Use the hashtag #BercheltValdez to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

LAS VEGAS (January 6, 2021) — The 2021 Fight of the Year race has officially started, as Miguel Berchelt and Oscar Valdez will face off in one of the most anticipated all-Mexican fistic showdowns in years.

Cancun’s Berchelt will defend his WBC super featherweight world title against Nogales native Valdez in a special Top Rank on ESPN telecast Saturday, Feb. 20.

The 10-round super featherweight co-feature will see rising 20-year-old Gabriel Flores Jr. against former world champion Andrew “El Chango” Cancio.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Berchelt-Valdez and Flores-Cancio will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

“Miguel Berchelt and Oscar Valdez are two proud Mexican warriors who will give boxing fans a memorable fight,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Top Rank promoted all three bouts between Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, and I view Berchelt-Valdez as this generation’s Barrera-Morales.”

Berchelt (38-1, 34 KOs) has held the WBC super featherweight title since January 2017, when he knocked out Francisco Vargas in the 11^th round. His last five title defenses have ended via the quick route, including a ninth-round TKO over Miguel Roman, a sixth-round TKO over Vargas in their May 2019 rematch, and a fourth-round knockout over former world champion Jason Sosa. He fought last June in a non-title bout and knocked out Eleazar Valenzuela in six one-sided rounds.

“This fight is the one that I dreamed of since we were both amateur fighters,” Berchelt said. “Valdez is a great fighter, and it will be a great fight. I am preparing with everything to win by knockout and leave no doubt that I am the best super featherweight in the world.”

Valdez (28-0, 22 KOs) is a two-time Mexican Olympian who vacated the WBO featherweight world title last year after six title defenses, which included scintillating 12-round barnburners against the likes of Scott Quigg, Genesis Servania and Miguel Marriaga. He suffered a severely broken jaw against Quigg in March 2018, returned 11 months later, and has since won four consecutive bouts. Since moving up to 130 pounds, Valdez has scored stoppage wins over Adam Lopez and Jayson Velez.

Valdez said, “Whenever there are two Mexicans in the ring, it is a guaranteed war, and it will be an honor for me to bring a great war to my fans.”

Flores (19-0, 6 KOs), from Stockton, Calif., signed a professional contract with Top Rank at 16 years old and went 3-0 in 2020 as he graduated from prospect to contender. He started the year Feb. 22 on the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury II undercard and dominated Matt Conway over eight rounds. Flores shined on a pair of occasions inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble, winning decisions over Josec Ruiz and Ryan Kielczweski. Flores now steps up against Cancio (21-5-2, 16 KOs), a fellow Californian who formerly held the WBA super featherweight world title. Cancio knocked out Alberto Machado in February 2019 to win the title and repeated the deed with another knockout over Machado that June. Rene Alvarado ended Cancio’s ascension with a seventh-round knockout in November 2019, and early last year, Cancio inked a promotional contract with Top Rank.

“My main goal is to win a world title,” Flores said. “Dominating a former world champion will put me in a great position to challenge for a title soon.”

Cancio said, “I’m very excited to return to battle on February 20 against Gabriel Flores Jr. I’m working hard in the gym, and I know that this fight is the first on my path to becoming a two-time world champion. I would like to thank my fans, who have been so incredibly supportive. I’ve heard you loud and clear and can’t wait to put on another great show for you.”

Use the hashtag #BercheltValdez to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside.