Oscar Valdez and Emanuel Navarrete prepare for 'necessary' boxing matchup
Surrounded by Mexican boxing legends Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, there was a sense of pride in the final news conference leading up to the WBO Junior Lightweight World Title bout between Oscar Valdez (31-1, 23 KOs) and Emanuel Navarrete (37-1, 31 KOs).
Mexico’s best boxers were all on stage on Thursday afternoon. Despite the upcoming fight and the legendary trilogy between Barrera and Morales, the room was full of respect and high praise for where Mexican boxing is now and what it has been.
Don’t get it twisted, however. No matter how much Valdez and Navarrete respect one another, there’s only one way to describe how Saturday's fight will be remembered.
“It’s always going to be a war,” Barrera said in Spanish.
A necessary battle
This will be the first time Navarrete is defending the Junior Lightweight World Title since claiming the belt in February against Liam Wilson. There’s no doubt Navarrete is at the top of his game, despite that, he sees this fight against Valdez as a necessity for his career. Beating someone like him would be the “cherry on top”, he says.
“It is necessary for my career,” Navarrete said in Spanish. “Everything that this represents, this fight with Valdez, it’s a rivalry between two Mexicans, which is essential and good for this fight.”
Valdez presents a unique challenge for Navarrete. While both flash undeniable levels of grit, Valdez has pushed through and won fights with a broken jaw. No matter the cost or how down he is, he’ll continue to battle until the final bell.
“With Valdez, you can send him to the canvas, break his ribs or break his jaw and he’ll still keep coming forward,” Navarrete said in Spanish. “It’s a hard test to overcome especially at the level that we are.”
Valdez, a former champion in the WBC super featherweight class and WBO featherweight title, sees this fight similarly for his career. He’s been a champion before, but being able to beat someone with the profile of Navarrete would mean everything for his main goal to be remembered among names like Barrera and Morales.
“We have all these great names in boxing, I want to be one of them,” Valdez said. “But what have I done right now? Nothing.”
Coverage of the entire event will begin at 5 p.m. on ESPN+ in a fight between Adrian Orban and Ricardo Ruvalcaba, with the undercard between Willie Jake Jr. and Richard Torrez Jr. slated for 7 p.m. PST on ESPN. The main card will immediately follow the Jake and Torrez bout.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Oscar Valdez and Emanuel Navarrete prepare for third boxing bout
