Oscar Valdez vs. Liam Wilson: Date, time, how to watch, background
Former two-division titleholder Oscar Valdez will try to bounce back from second loss in three fights against Liam Wilson on Friday.
OSCAR VALDEZ (31-2, 23 KOs)
VS. LIAM WILSON (13-2, 7 KOs)
Date: Friday, March 29
Time: 6:05 p.m. ET / 3:05 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Arizona
TV/Stream: ESPN+
Division: Junior lightweight (130 pounds)
At stake: No major titles
Pound-for-pound: None
Odds: Valdez 3½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Significance (up to five stars): ***
Also on the card: Yokasta Valle vs. Seniesa Estrada, strawweights (for Valle’s IBF, WBO and Estrada’s WBA, WBC titles); Raymond Muratalla vs. Xolisani Ndongeni, lightweights; Richard Torrez Jr. vs. Don Haynesworth, heavyweights
Background: Valdez is on the comeback trail once again. The former two-division titleholder from Mexico was outclassed by Shakur Stevenson in a 130-pound title-unification bout in 2022, losing a one-sided decision. He bounced back to outpoint Adam Lopez a year later. However, he suffered another wide-decision setback in an entertaining scrap against beltholder Emanuel Navarrete last August, which further damaged his reputation. Wilson, a former title challenger, is a clear underdog but no pushover. He put Navarrete down and hurt him before he was stopped himself in Round 9 of a competitive battle for a vacant 130-pound belt in February of last year. The resident of Queensland outpointed two second-tier opponents since the loss, including a unanimous, but close decision over countryman Jackson Jon England. Also on the March 29 card, Yokasta Valle (30-2, 9 KOs) and Seniesa Estrada (25-0, 9 KOs) will fight for the undisputed strawweight championship. They hold two belts apiece.
