WBO junior lightweight champion Emanuel Navarrete will defend his title against Oscar Valdez on Saturday, August 12, at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Navarrete (37-1, 31 KOs) regrouped from a fourth-round knockdown in February to earn a ninth-round TKO victory against Liam Wilson in one of the most entertaining fights of the year. The 28-year-old became a three-division champion after winning titles at 122 and 126 pounds.
Valdez (31-1, 23 KOs) is a former two-division champion who scored a unanimous-decision victory over Adam Lopez last month. The former Olympian got back on the winning track after suffering his first career loss last spring in a title unification fight against Shakur Stevenson.
The fight pits two of the top Mexican lightweights in boxing, and either fighter could emerge victorious in a pretty evenly-matched contest.
The winner will stake his claim as one of Mexico's all-time best fighters, and PointsBet NY has Valdez (-167) as the slight favorite to overcome Navarrete (+145) and win the WBO junior lightweight championship.
Valdez is a dangerous knockout artist who combines an aggressive fighting style with punching power and combination punching. The 32-year-old has tallied 23 knockouts in 31 wins for an impressive 72% knockout-to-win percentage.
The Nogales native exemplifies the Mexican fighting style with flurries of sharp combinations drilling opposing fighters. One of the sport's most experienced fighters, Valdez struggled to break Stevenson's jab in his only career loss. However, he is confident he will become a three-division champion with a win against Navarrete.
"I'm very happy, and it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I'm thankful to God for another chance to fight for the WBO world title. It's something I've really missed," Valdez said in a recent interview with ProBox TV.
"Last time I got the chance to be the unified champion was when I fought and lost against Shakur Stevenson. So, I lost that opportunity there, I lost the titles, and now I'm trying to retake what was mine."
The first Mexican fighter to become Youth World Champion, Valdez understands that his upcoming fight against Navarrete will be a war and one of the biggest challenges of his career.
"It could be the hardest fight of my career. The truth is that there are styles that go well together and styles that make fights feel really uncomfortable. So, we can't really say until the fight happens," added Valdez.
"A lot of times, there are fights that people think are going to be wars, but you end up finishing the fight very easily, or there could be fights that are truly wars when no one was expecting it. But I think this fight will be a war because of the styles."
Navarrete is an ultra-aggressive boxer who uses relentless pressure and non-stop punches to takedown opposing fighters. A fierce competitor with elite stamina and strength, the reigning title holder is also a versatile fighter who can box effectively from several positions.
An entertaining fighter, Navarrete is a rare knockout artist who is also an excellent ring technician. He has proven to be one of the best finishers in his weight class who can also go the distance when necessary. The three-division champion possesses determination and mental toughness, enabling him to come out on top in fights where his opponents thought they were on course to capture the victory.
Although he rebounded from a knockdown in his last fight against Liam Wilson, Navarrete is excited to face an opponent with the skills of Valdez.
"After so much time, this fight will finally take place," Navarrete said. "Obviously, I am 100 percent motivated because Valdez is still a big threat, and a fight against him could be the start of a new Mexico vs. Mexico rivalry like the one between Barrera and Morales."
Former light welterweight champion Tim Bradley believes Valdez will win the fight easily over Navarrete, who struggled to defeat Wilson in his previous contest.
"All those mistakes this man (Navarrete) makes, a guy as sharp as Oscar Valdez will make him pay for that," said Bradley. "On the return fire, Oscar Valdez is going to be in a firefight with him, and it's still dangerous for him."
Betting odds for this highly-anticipated junior lightweight showdown are live on most of New York's best sportsbooks, which have listed Valdez as the favorite with odds around -160.
The most prevalent type of wager for betting on boxing is picking who will win the fight outright. Known as a moneyline bet, this type of wager usually makes up the bulk of the handle taken by sportsbooks on boxing matches.
Our pick would be to back Valdez, given his punching power and superior boxing skills. A $100 wager on Valdez at odds of -160 would net a profit of approximately $62.50, for a total payout of $162.50.
The Over/Under bet is another popular type, where you wager on the number of rounds the fight will last. Given both fighters' aggressive style, this fight has a good chance of not going the distance.
Navarrete has racked up three knockouts in his previous four fights, while Valdez has gone the distance in his last three bouts. However, the favored challenger has won 23 of his 31 career fights via knockouts. Thus, we might expect the fight to last at least three full rounds. Therefore, betting Over 2.5 rounds could be an intelligent pick.
Given Valdez's comments about the fight being the "hardest fight of my career," we could speculate a potentially lengthy and hard-fought contest. Therefore, we might lean toward betting on Over 3.5 rounds, expecting the fight to reach into the fourth round or beyond.
Three-division world champion Emanuel "Vaquero" Navarrete will put his WBO junior lightweight world title on the line against former two-division world champion Oscar Valdez on Saturday, August 12, at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Boxing fans in New York can watch the fight live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ pay-per-view.
Bookmakers have made the challenger, Oscar Valdez, a slight favorite against the reigning WBO champion Emanuel Navarrete when they clash in the main event at Desert Diamond Arena in Arizona. Valdez is a -160 betting favorite, while Navarrete is the +130 underdog.
U.S. Olympic silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr. (5-0, 5 KOs) will tangle with Willie Jake Jr. (11-3-2, 3 KOs) in a six-round heavyweight bout.
Junior welterweight Lindolfo Delgado (17-0, 13 KOs) will battle Jair Valtierra (16-2, 8 KOs) in a 10-round contest.
Undefeated lightweight prospect Emiliano Fernando Vargas (5-0, 4 KOs) will face an unknown opponent in a four-round bout. In contrast, Sergio Rodriguez (7-0-1, 6 KOs) and Eduardo Ayala (9-3-1, 3 KOs) will meet in a six-round super middleweight duel.
Live betting is available for boxing during the fight. However, you can only place bets between rounds when the in-play betting odds are updated. The most popular type of betting for boxing is moneyline wagers representing the odds for who will win the fight outright. A "three-way" moneyline is also available if the match ends in a tie. Other live betting types include prop bets, such as the method of victory, total rounds (how long a fight will last), points betting, and parlays.
PointsBet and BetMGM, among others, are well-known and trusted New York sportsbooks where boxing fans can place bets on this exciting junior lightweight world championship showdown.
