Oscar Valdez was neither impressed by the latest performance turned by Miguel Berchelt nor under the impression that it was the best available version of his potential future rival.
Both boxers have been provided separate ESPN headliners ahead of a planned head-on collision later this year. Berchelt (38-1, 34KOs) went first, scoring a 6th round knockout of Eleazer Valenzuela on June 27 in Mexico City. The closed-doors event at TV Azteca studios saw Berchelt somewhat go through the motions before picking up steam and eventually putting away his countryman with a series of power shots in their non-title fight at the lightweight limit.
“I did get to see the fight, I definitely had to watch that one,” Valdez (27-0, 21KOs) told BoxingSceen.com ahead of his own ESPN headliner, as he faces Jayson Velez atop the June 21 edition of Top Rank Boxing on ESPN. “Honestly, he didn’t look that good, but I think his opponent had a lot to do with that.
“[Valenzuela] didn’t bring much to the table and wasn’t really that tough. We’ve seen Miguel Berchelt fight (up) to his level of opposition and look a lot better than he did that night.”
Valdez has the chance to one-up the long-reigning champ, ahead of his upcoming clash versus Puerto Rico’s Velez (29-6-1, 22KOs).
The bout will mark the second at junior lightweight for Valdez after moving up from featherweight where he made six successful defenses of his WBO title. His debut at the weight left mixed reviews, as the 29-year old from Nogales, Sinaloa, Mexico was forced to overcome the lone knockdown of his career and a spirited performance from late replacement Adam Lopez to score a 7th round stoppage last November.
Valdez was originally due to face Andres Gutierrez, who showed up miserably above the contracted fight limit. Barring a similar surprise ahead of Tuesday’s bout, Valdez has remained locked in on showcasing his best available version in what will mark his fourth training camp with 2019 Trainer of the Year Eddy Reynoso.
“I had time to watch Berchelt, that was four weeks away from my fight,” notes Valdez. “Right now I got Jayson Velez and I can’t think about anything else. And I’m sure he’s going to be watching my fight. I’m focused on doing what I need to do, but I promise that everyone watching will walk away impressed by my performance.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
