By Steve Kim
It's not clear when WBO featherweight champion Oscar Valdez will return to the ring - but when he does it will be Eddy Reynoso (best known for developing middleweight champion Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez) in his corner.
Valdez began working with Reynoso in Guadalajara, Mexico earlier this week.
The goal is for Valdez to become a sounder boxer that gets through his bouts more unscathed. His last three bout against the likes of Miguel Marriaga, Genesis Servania and most recently versus Scott Quigg were physically demanding affairs that all went the distance.
Before they started in the gym, Valdez says he sat down and spoke with Reynoso.
"He has very good ideas, it makes sense, the combinations hes' going to make me work on, certain types of movements that are going to help me on my defense and help me counter-punch my rivals and bring a better Oscar Valdez," Valdez told BoxingScene.com.
And things such as slipping punches are being stressed early on by Reynoso.
"Yeah, working on head movement, defense and obviously blocking, everything that has to do with defense we're going to work on," said Valdez (24-0, 19 KO's), who suffered a fractured jaw back in March in his last bout against Quigg who didn't seem to bother to make the 126-pound weight limit.
Valdez says he hopes to return to the ring in December.
Carl Frampton, who captured the WBO-interim belt to become Valdez's mandatory, went in another direction and faces IBF featherweight champion Josh Warrington in December.
Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com
