GLENDALE, Arizona – There is nothing uncivil about this weekend’s in-ring civil war.

At the same time, Emanuel ‘El Vaquero’ Navarrete and Oscar Valdez aim to prove that friendly rivals can still produce a classic all-Mexican rivalry.

The perspective comes in stark contrast to that of the three-fight set enjoyed by Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, the Hall of Fame legends who joined both fighters for Thursday’s press conference and Friday’s weigh-in. Navarrete and Valdez don’t carry nearly any of the vitriol and disdain that came from the Barrera-Morales title fights in 2000, 2002 and 2004. Their styles and roots are enough, though, to continue that proud tradition.

“It’s the battle of Mexico,” Valdez explained in simplest terms to BoxingScene.com of their WBO junior lightweight title fight. “It’s a civil war. You can only have one champion in each division where we’re from. At flyweight you have [Julio Cesar] ‘El Rey’ Martinez. Then you have [lineal/WBC junior bantamweight champion Juan Francisco] ‘El Gallo’ Estrada. At 122 [Luis] ‘Pantera’ Nery wants to get it back. The featherweights have work to do but for our weight, Vaquero and I have to compete to figure that out.

“So yeah, it’s personal for the champion of Mexico but it’s nothing personal with him. He’s got the belt. That makes him a target. Every fighter wants to become a world champion. It’s nothing personal. I just want to bring that belt home.”

The belt currently belongs to Navarrete (37-1, 31KOs), who attempts his first title defense in Saturday’s ESPN-televised main event from Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The three-division beltholder from San Juan Zitlaltepec, Mexico has long admired Nogales’ Valdez (31-1, 23KOs), a two-time Olympian and former two-division title claimant who now stands in his way.

“Aside from trying to prove that I’m the best, there’s also a personal need to win,” Navarrete told Boxing Scene. “Anytime you have Mexico versus Mexico, you can expect a war. Then you factor in how long I had to wait for this fight, I take that personally.

“I was fortunate to get the fight versus Liam Wilson last time when Oscar Valdez had to withdraw but this is the fight that I wanted to prove to everyone that I deserve to be a three-division world champion, even more than proving where I belong in the 130-pound division.”  

The two were due to meet February 3 at this very location. Navarrete made his way to the ring while a pre-existing back injury that never fully healed limited Valdez’ role to a ringside spectator with the intention to challenge his countryman later in the year.

There was a brief moment where Australia’s Liam Wilson, Valdez’s replacement, was poised to destroy those plans. Navarrete suffered his first career knockdown late in round four but survived the storm and rallied to drop and stop Wilson in the ninth round of their instant classic.

Immediately joining the three-division and newly crowned WBO 130-pound titlist in the ring that night was Valdez, who was respectful of his countryman that night and throughout the buildup to their highly anticipated showdown this weekend.

“With Vaquero there is definitely a level of respect,” noted Valdez, a former WBO featherweight and WBC junior lightweight titlist. “It’s not that we got along. I never really got to know him (outside the ring) but there’s definitely a mutual respect. The way that I am, I don’t trash any of my opponents and they all know there’s respect there.

“I had way more of a friendship with Miguel Berchelt. He and I had a friendship out of the ring.”

Valdez scored a highlight reel one-punch, tenth-round knockout of Berchelt to win the WBC 130-pound title in February 2021. Just one defense followed before he lost the belt to Shakur Stevenson (20-0, 10KOs) in their WBC/WBO unification bout last April 30 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Navarrete enters Saturday’s main event riding a 32-fight win streak and as the defending titlist but also as the slight betting underdog. Valdez is listed as a -165 favorite according to bet365 sportsbook, who has Navarrete at +125 to retain his title.  

The oddsmakers join the fans among the crowd whom the 28-year-old will have to convince of his place in modern Mexican boxing history.

“I always enter the ring with something to prove,” noted Navarrete, who is 11-0 in title fights spanning 122-, 126- and 130-pounds. “I’ve won world titles in three weight divisions but have high expectations of myself. It is never enough to just win a title, or even defend it. To beat the best in my division is always my goal, especially when it’s another Mexican.

“I have an opponent in front of me who (twice) represented Mexico in the Olympics. He has won world titles. He’s been knocked down and got back up to win. He’s had his jaw broken and overcame that to win. This fight ticks every box for me. This is an opportunity to prove to myself that I can beat a great former champion like Oscar Valdez.”  

Valdez also enters with something to prove, particularly to remove the bad taste left behind in his lopsided defeat to Stevenson.

The loss came seven months after he was scrutinized for a drug testing scandal which preceded his win over Brazil’s Robson Conceicao. Those two fights somehow erased all the forward progress made during a three-year featherweight title reign and his explosive win over Berchelt.

He is now presented with the perfect in-country rival to remind the world of why he’s already served—and still belongs—among the best. Not only that, but he gets to do so in a manner where the winner gets to represent Mexico with class.

“This is a fight, there’s no need to oversell this fight,” stated Valdez. “It’s one thing if he and I had a hate for each other but that’s not the case. It could be a thing where you see it come alive in the ring. He has a fight style where he doesn’t give up. You know I’ll never give up.

“I think this fight will fit perfect for a classic fight. I’ve heard him say that he wants to go for the knockout. That’s great. You always have the fans what they want. A fight that they will remember for years. Whenever you have two fighters with our styles, it always makes for a great night.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox