According to “The Bible of Boxing,” fight fans who love an all-Mexican showdown (and who the heck doesn’t!) are in luck. RingTV.com reports how Emanuel Navarrete and Oscar Valdez will shoot it out on December 7, this in a rematch of their August 2023 thriller, the likely venue the Footprint Center in Phoenix.
When they first went to war in Glendale, a younger man by four years, Navarrete, won via wide decision, yet the action was hectic, and fans were keen to tune in for the return fight. Currently 38-2-1(31) Navarrete is coming off a split decision loss to Denys Berinchyk, this a fight that saw “Vaquero” fail to life the WBO lightweight title. Now, in the Valdez return, Navarrete, still the WBO champ at 130 pounds, will look to make a third successful defense.
Valdez, who is 32-2(24), is coming off a TKO win over Liam Wilson, and the former WBO featherweight and WBC super featherweight champ is the current WBO interim champ at 130 as a result of the win. Valdez has never been stopped, and neither has Navarrete. Fans can brace themselves for another slugfest on December 7.
Whenever two Mexican warriors face one another, pride is very much at stake, along with maybe a title and the respective records of the two men, as such, the best of both men is brought out. Both Navarrete and Valdez threw a ton of leather when they rumbled a year ago and there is zero reason to believe it will be any different this time around.
Can Valdez get revenge (in doing so, perhaps setting up a trilogy), or will the younger man in Navarrete repeat his big win? This one will not be dull, and a good case can be made for both guys getting the win. In other words, this fight could well prove to be a year-end highlight.
Navarrete is a three-weight world champion, having won a major belt at 122, at 126, and at 130. Valdez is a two-weight ruler, having won belts at 126 and 130. How much more can both warriors achieve once they are done with each other?
