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WBC super featherweight champion Oscar Valdez 30-0 (23) says he wants to prove who is the best 130-pound boxer in the world when he takes on WBO counterpart Shakur ‘Fearless’ Stevenson 17-0 (9) in a unification bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night.
The 31-year-old Mexican is the underdog against Newark southpaw Stevenson, 24, but insists he is more than ready to prove the oddsmakers wrong.
Valdez scored a career best win with a highlight reel knockout of Miguel Berchelt to claim the WBC super featherweight title in February last year after previously holding the WBO featherweight belt.
When he moved up in weight, Stevenson collected the vacant WBO 126-pound belt by decision against Joet Gonzalez. In his last fight in October, Stevenson stopped Jamel Herring in 10 frames to become the WBO boss at 130-pounds.
“I’m very excited for this,” Valdez said. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve dreampt of these kinds of opportunities, to be fighting for unified championships and to be fighting in Las Vegas. I’m just very excited right now to be in this mega fight and I can’t wait. I’m anxious to step in the ring on April 30.
“It’s the perfect time to have this fight now. Shakur Stevenson is a two-time world champion right now. I’m a two-time world champion as well. It’s the perfect time. Let’s prove who is the best 130-pounder. Let’s get it on April 30. Let’s just show it. I think it’s the correct time to do it.”
Stevenson made his pro debut on the undercard of Valdez vs Miguel Marriaga five years ago. Valdez was making the second defence of his WBO featherweight title and was 21-0 at the time.
“Just like in this fight, I was very focused on the fight that I had in front of me,” Valdez said. “I had known about Shakur Stevenson. I saw him in the Olympics. He was a great fighter then and he’s turned into a great champion now. I don’t remember at all that day because I was very focused on my fight in the same way I am focused on this fight. In each and every fight, I take things very seriously. I just focus on one thing: beating my opponent.”
Valdez shares a coach with Mexican superstar and undisputed super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in Eddy Reynoso.
“It was great to train beside Canelo Alvarez,” Valdez said. “There are always things you can learn from fighters who have great experience. But it doesn’t matter at the end of the day because the ones who are going to be inside the ring are me and Shakur.
“It doesn’t matter if Canelo trains me or teaches me different things. At the end of the day, it’s about who has the biggest heart in the ring on April 30.”
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