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Fight Week: Shakur Stevenson, Oscar Valdez to vie for 130-pound supremacy

Michael Rosenthal
·4 min read

FIGHT WEEK

Shakur Stevenson and Oscar Valdez will unify two 130-pound titles Saturday in Las Vegas. On the same night, Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano will face off in a huge women’s bout in New York.

Shakur Stevenson (17-0, 9 KOs) vs. Oscar Valdez (30-0, 23 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, April 30

  • Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)

  • Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas

  • TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+

  • Division: Junior lightweight (140 pounds)

  • Rounds: 12

  • At stake: Valdez’s WBC and Stevenson’s WBO titles

  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None

  • Odds: Stevenson 4-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)

  • Also on the card: Keyshawn Davis vs. Esteban Sanchez, junior welterweights; Nico Ali Walsh vs. Alejandro Ibarra, middleweights

  • Prediction: Stevenson UD

  • Background: Stevenson and Valdez own only one of the four major junior lightweight titles each but the winner will be seen as the king of the division. Stevenson, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist, has dazzled fans as a professional with his natural gifts, skill set and ring acumen. No one has given him a significant challenge, including elite opponents. He nearly shut out previously unbeaten Joet Gonzalez to win the vacant WBO 126-pound title in October 2019 and then immediately moved up to 130. He won three consecutive fights at that weight to earn a shot at respected WBO titleholder Jamel Herring, who was outclassed and then stopped by the rising star in the 10th round. Thus, Stevenson become a two-division champion at 24 years old. Valdez, a two-time Olympian from Mexico, also is a fine all-around fighter and a two-division titleholder. He stopped Matias Rueda in two rounds to win the WBO 126-pound title in 2016 and successfully defended six times, including a wide decision over Scott Quigg. He recorded his biggest victory in February of last year, stopping the feared Miguel Berchelt in 10 rounds to add the WBC 130-pound belt to his collection. Valdez tested positive for the banned substance phentermine before his first defense against Robson Conceicao in September yet was allowed to fight and retain his title.

 

Katie Taylor (20-0, 6 KOs) vs. Amanda Serrano (42-1-1, 30 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, April 30

  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT (main event later in show)

  • Where: Madison Square Garden, New York

  • TV/Stream: DAZN

  • Division: Lightweight (135 pounds)

  • Rounds: 10

  • At stake: Taylor’s undisputed championship

  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None

  • Odds: Taylor 1¼-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)

  • Also on the card: Jessie Vargas vs. Liam Smith, junior middleweights; Franchon Crews-Dezurn vs. Elin Cederroos, super middleweights (for Cederroos’ IBF and WBA and Crews’ WBC and WBO titles)

  • Prediction: Serrano SD

  • Background: Women’s boxing does get much bigger than this, as both Taylor and Serrano are at or near the top of pound-for-pound lists and certain Hall of Famers. Taylor became a hero in her native Ireland by winning a gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics, falling short in the 2016 Rio Games and then building a pristine resume as a professional. The 35-year-old from Bray has been a lightweight titleholder from the time she outpointed Anahi Ester Sanchez to win the vacant WBA belt in October 2017 to the present, a span of 14 fights over 4½ years. She became undisputed 135-pound champion when she narrowly outpointed Delfine Persoon in June 2019, their first of two fights. Taylor also won a 140-pound title by outpointing Christina Linardatou in November 2019. She’s coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Firuza Sharipova in December. Serrano is a seven-division titleholder (between 115 and 140 pounds), which is a record in the sport if you don’t count two Ring Magazine titles that give Manny Pacquiao titles in eight divisions. The 33-year-old from Brooklyn suffered her only loss to Frida Wallberg in her first title fight in 2012 and has won 28 consecutive fights since, including 11 title fights. She’s coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Miriam Gutierrez in December. Serrano also is one of the biggest punchers among the women, with 30 career knockouts.