Undefeated world champion Oscar Valdez will defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight championship for the first time on Saturday, November 5, against Hiroshige Osawa of Japan in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Valdez-Osaga battle will be part of three action-packed world championship fights in the undercard of the Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao - Jessie Vargas WBO welterweight world title fight on Saturday, November 5, at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions and Wynn Las Vegas, the Pacquiao - Vargas world welterweight championship event will be produced and distributed live by Top Rank Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, and will be available on all conventional platforms, including all major cable and satellite systems, as well as Top Rank's digital distribution via www.TopRank.tv and mobile devices.
Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire and Valdez, WBO junior featherweight and featherweight champions, respectively, will be risking their crowns in mandatory title defenses against their respective No. 1 contenders Jessie magdaleno and Hiroshige Osawa. The pay-per-view telecast will open with Chinese Olympic icon ZOU SHIMING in a 12-round rumble with Prasitak Papoem for the vacant WBO flyweight world title. This marks the first time Pacquiao and Donaire, the two biggest boxing stars to come out of the Philippines, have ever shared the same card.
The six co-main event gladiators, representing six different countries, have a combined record of 158-8-6 (104 KOs) -- a winning percentage of 92% with nearly 2/3 of those victories coming by way of knockout.
Remaining tickets to the Pacquiao vs. Vargas world championship event are priced at $1,000, $700, $500, $300, $100 and $50, not including applicable service fees. They may be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office, online at http://www.unlvtickets.com/, at UNLVtickets Outlet Town Square Las Vegas and La Bonita Supermarkets. To charge by phone call 702-739-FANS (3267) or 866-388-FANS (3267).
Valdez (21-0, 18 KOs), from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico represented Mexico in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, and was the first Mexican fighter to qualify for two Olympic games. He is considered one of the bright lights of the featherweight division and a new face for boxing's next generation. He will be making the first defense of the vacant world title he won on July 23 via a second-round knockout of undefeated No. 2 rated Matías Rueda.
Rueda entered that fight having won his previous 10 bouts by stoppage. Valdez, 26, started the year with a fourth-round knockout victory over former IBF featherweight champion Evgeny Gradovich on the April 9 Pacquiao - Tim Bradley III pay-per-view undercard in Las Vegas. It was the first time Gradovich had ever been stopped in his 24-bout professional career. Other career highlights include knockout victories of former world title challengers Ruben Tamayo and Chris Avalos.
Hiroshige Osawa (30-3-4, 19 KOs), from Osaka, Japan, will be making his U.S. debut. He enters this fight riding a seven-year, 16-bout unbeaten streak, with 12 victories coming by way of knockout, including his last 10. He returns to the ring fresh from a first-round knockout of Yon Armed on April 2, where he captured the WBO Asia-Pacific featherweight title and solidified his position as the No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger to Valdez.
“As a world champion you have to face tough challenges and my first defense will be against a tough challenger, but I am ready to face him," said Valdez. "I worked hard to get my belt and I intend to keep it for a long time."
“Oscar Valdez always works very hard to get ready for his fights. He will be even more focused and work even harder defending his championship belt on November 5 than he was when he won it back in July,” said Valdez's trainer Manuel Robles.
“Oscar Valdez won his world championship with a spectacular performance in July and on November 5, I am sure he will give us another great fight and successfully defend his belt,” said Frank Espinoza, Valdez's manager.
Valdez has already begun his preparation for the fight at the Rock Gym in Carson and looking forward to giving the fans another thrilling night of boxing.
"Top Rank is very proud to be presenting such a special pay-per-view event,": said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. "Las Vegas will truly be the boxing capital of the world on November 5 with a championship card featuring the best fighters from six different countries."
