By: Hans Themistode
Both Shakur Stevenson and Oscar Valdez have an insatiable desire to prove themselves the man to beat. With both fighters holding world titles in the 130-pound weight class, they are considered the best fighters the weight classes have to offer.
However, late last year, before the two officially signed on April 30, their match, Stevenson publicly berated Valdez in an attempt to lure him into the ring. Although Stevenson initially believed Valdez wanted to dodge his open challenge, the former Olympic silver medalist was surprised when Valdez welcomed Stevenson’s invitation with open arms.
With Stevenson in possession of the WBO ultralightweight championship and Valdez firmly in possession of his WBC trinket, promoter Bob Arum is delighted that their contest has come to fruition.
“Both of these guys are very proud,” Arum said in an interview with Fight Hub TV. “Both of these people fought, not because they were sanctioned by any authority, but because they wanted to. Such battles are intense and fun to watch. “
Throughout the long career of Arum’s Hall of Fame, the longtime promoter has always been interested in how any particular contest will play out. This time, however, he had trouble picking a winner.
In Stevenson’s case, since making a name for himself at the 2016 Olympics, he’s barely broken a sweat on his way to a track record of 17 professional matches, in which has two world titles. On his most recent trip to the ring, Stevenson easily dissected former title runner, Jamel Herring, lifting his 130-pound WBO title in the process.
As for Valdez, he’s been taken aback by the whole notion that he “kicked” Stevenson in the first place. Although Stevenson initially won the mandatory title against Valdez at 126 pounds, the Mexican-born player chose not to defend his WBO title against the American star and instead took out the infamous boxer. famous, Miguel Berchelt at 130 pounds.
Despite being seen as an underdog, Valdez brutalized his man, dropping him a total of four times before finishing him off in the tenth round. Since then, Valdez’s star power has somewhat taken a hit following his lackluster performance against Robson Conceicao in September 2021.
However, Valdez’s listless display will now be brushed under the rug. With a little over a month left until the world champion pair swaps punches in the ring, odds researchers have rated Stevenson as a significant favourite. However, despite the public backing of the betting world, Arum is still unsure how their contest will turn out.
“I don’t have the deepest conception of how the war will play out. These guys have become skilled professionals and they have great angles. It is difficult to predict how the matches will play out.”
