Miguel Berchelt: record, next fight and profile →
By Jake Donovan - LAS VEGAS – Oscar Valdez saved the best performance of his career for his biggest fight to date. The two-time Mexican Olympian is now a two-division champion, claiming the WBC junior lightweight crown after knocking out countryman Miguel Berchelt just before the bell to end round ten. Valdez scored three knockdowns on the night, the last of which...
Berchelt, Valdez Scorecard BoxingScene Live - The Battle for Mexico is almost here. WBC super featherweight world champion Miguel Berchelt and former featherweight world champion Oscar Valdez stepped on the scale Friday, one day before one of the most highly anticipated all-Mexican showdowns in boxing history. (photos by Mikey Williams)
Even if the fight doesn’t pan out, the trip down memory lane in the build was fun for many. The Mexican legacy near the featherweight limit, give or take a division is rich. Revisiting names like Olivares and Chavez, and rivalries like Barrera-Morales, helped set the table for this Saturday (ESPN, 10 PM EST).
Oscar Valdez views Miguel Berchelt as the strongest and best 130-pound champion in boxing. The undefeated former WBO featherweight champ clearly considers Berchelt beatable as well, even though odds-makers have established Berchelt as approximately a 3-1 favorite in advance of their 12-round title fight Saturday night. The odds are among the slights that have motivated Valdez throughout training camp for the main event of ESPN’s telecast from MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas (10 p.m. EST; 7 p.m. PST).
LAS VEGAS -- Miguel Berchelt proudly stood on the scale, arms flexed and flashing a chiseled physique befitting a fighter widely recognized as the best junior lightweight in the world. The question is how long he can retain that status, regardless of what happens this weekend.
Carlos Zarate-Alfonso Zamora. Marco Antonio Barrera-Erik Morales. Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez. Orlando Salido-Francisco Vargas. Could Miguel Berchelt-Oscar Valdez be the next great fight that will live up or surpass expectations in terms of action and excitement? That remains to be seen, but the fight is finally here. The real winners, like in the aforementioned fights, might be the fans tuning in.
LAS VEGAS -- Sonny Conto will have to wait a little longer to end his already lengthy layoff. The unbeaten heavyweight prospect from Philadelphia is left without an opponent, as Phoenix’s Waldo Cortes was dropped from the show due to undisclosed medical reasons, BoxingScene.com has learned. The development occurred Saturday morning, not leaving any time to secure a replacement opponent for Conto who has not fought since last January.
By Keith Idec - Oscar Valdez loved watching the Marco Antonio Barrera-Erik Morales and the Rafael Marquez-Israel Vazquez fights. As a proud Mexican, the extremely competitive, entertaining nature of those unforgettable battles inspired him during Valdez’s ascent as an amateur fighter. Valdez realizes the proverbial bar those legends established is very high, bu...
LAS VEGAS – Russell Mora has been tasked with serving as the third man for one of the biggest fights on the 2021 calendar. The 24-year locally based ring official will oversee the junior lightweight title fight between Miguel Berchelt and Oscar Valdez at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas (Saturday, ESPN/ESPN+, 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT). The three judges assigned to the scheduled 12-round main event are Dave Moretti, Patricia Morse Jarman and Max DeLuca.
Berchelt, Valdez Weights Las Vegas Photos Gallery - The Battle for Mexico is almost here. WBC super featherweight world champion Miguel Berchelt and former featherweight world champion Oscar Valdez stepped on the scale Friday, one day before one of the most highly anticipated all-Mexican showdowns in boxing history. (photos by Mikey Williams)