Assuming Miguel Berchelt and Oscar Valdez win their upcoming fights, Bob Arum still intends to match the Mexican junior lightweights later this year.
Berchelt and Valdez probably would’ve fought already had the COVID-19 pandemic not temporarily shut down the boxing business three months ago. Arum, whose company co-promotes Berchelt and promotes Valdez, wants to wait, however, until fans can attend shows before scheduling their fight for Berchelt’s 130-pound title.
“We’ll definitely make that fight, 100 percent,” Arum told BoxingScene.com. “Both the guys want it. You know, this is not the time to do that fight because we can’t get spectators. That’s why [co-promoter] Fernando [Beltran] is giving Berchelt an interim fight, and we’re giving Valdez an interim fight. But we’ll absolutely do that fight in the fall or the winter, whenever we can get spectators.”
The 28-year-old Berchelt (37-1, 33 KOs) will headline a five-fight card ESPN will televise Saturday night from TV Azteca Studios in Mexico City (11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT).
The WBC super featherweight champion is scheduled to meet Mexico’s Eleazar Valenzuela (21-13-4, 16 KOs, 1 NC) in a 10-round, non-title fight that’ll be contested at the lightweight limit. Internet sports books have consistently listed the hard-hitting Berchelt as at least a 100-1 favorite versus the overmatched Valenzuela.
Valdez (27-0, 21 KOs) has been matched tougher than Berchelt in a 10-round main event ESPN will broadcast July 21 from MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. The 29-year-old Valdez, a former WBO featherweight champion, will oppose Puerto Rico’s Jayson Velez (29-6-1, 21 KOs) that night.
Neither Berchelt nor Valdez has fought since November.
Berchelt beat former WBA 130-pound champ Jason Sosa (23-4-4, 16 KOs) by fourth-round knockout in his last fight, November 2 in Carson, California.
Four weeks later, Valdez overcame a second-round knockdown to stop Adam Lopez (14-2, 6 KOs) in the seventh round of Valdez’s first 130-pound bout after vacating his 126-pound championship, November 30 in Las Vegas.
If nothing else, taking interim fights at least assures that Berchelt and Valdez won’t end long layoffs when they finally fight.
“It’s good they’re getting fights in,” Arum said. “Otherwise, they’d be out for over a year [before they fought]. That’s not fair.”
Whenever they square off, Arum is convinced Berchelt-Valdez will have been well worth the wait.
“I can’t wait to see it,” Arum said. “I don’t know who’s gonna win. That’s a great fight. Two Mexicans, both confident they can win. It could be like another Morales-Barrera fight.”
The first and third battles between Mexican rivals Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera won various “Fight of the Year” awards in 2000 and 2004, respectively.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.