By Miguel Rivera
WBO featherweight world champion Oscar Valdez is looking for the biggest fights possible in 2017.
Valdez (21-0, 19KOs) had three ring appearances in 2016.
He returned on the HBO Pay-Per-View undercard to Manny Pacquiao-Tim Bradley III back in April, and knocked out former world champion Evgeny Gradovich in four rounds.
He then returned in July, as part of the HBO Pay-Per-View undercard to Terence Crawford-Viktor Postol, and knocked out Matias Rueda in two rounds to capture the vacant WBO world title.
He then came back earlier this month, and once again on pay-per-view, when he knocked out out Japan's Hiroshige Osawa in seven rounds as part of the Manny Pacquiao-Jessie Vargas undercard.
Valdez is very happy with the news that his promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, and manager/adviser Al Haymon, are working together. That's because Haymon manages nearly all of the viable names and world champions at 126-pounds.
If Valdez had one fight in particular that he would like to get it - it would be a unification with WBC world champion Gary Russell Jr., who was only beaten once - by current WBO super featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko.
"I would like to unify with any of the champions, Lee Selby of the International Boxing Federation, Carl Frampton of the World Boxing Association or Gary Russell Jr. of the World Boxing Council, anyone with a belt I would like to unify with, but if I could choose one - it would be Gary Russell Jr., because he has the WBC belt and I would like to fight for that belt," said Valdez to ESPN Deportes.
"I would also like Leo Santa Cruz or Ábner Mares, because although he is not a world champion he is a great boxer who still has the power to fight for a title. These are the fights that people want to see."