Óscar Valdez Triumphs Over Liam Wilson in Super Featherweight Showdown
Óscar Valdez (32-2, 24 KOs) returned to winning ways with a seventh-round stoppage of Liam Wilson (13-3, 7 KOs)
The super featherweight fight headlined a Top Rank card at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, AZ. ESPN+ were the broadcasters for those in the United States. The time of stoppage was 2:48 of round seven.
With the win, Valdez now holds an interim version of the WBO super featherweight title. Should Emanuel Navarrete choose to stay at lightweight after facing Denys Berinchyk, Valdez will be promoted to full titlist.
Earlier on the card, Seniesa Estrada outboxed Yokasta Valle to become the undisputed minimumweight champion.
Óscar Valdez Impresses Against Liam Wilson
Fight Recap
The early rounds saw Wilson pushing forward, throwing more punches than his opponent. Throughout the entirety of the fight, Valdez stayed on the back foot. Valdez’s face had begun swelling by the end of the round. He began to find his range in round two, causing some blood to pour from the nose of Wilson.
The high guard and crouching of Valdez made him susceptible to uppercuts from Wilson. However, he sneaked in a left hook now and then during the third. In round four, both men went head to head and traded uppercuts and hooks.
Read More: Five Underrated Featherweights to Watch Out for in 2024
Valdez wrested control of the fight during the middle rounds, landing the more accurate hooks to the head and body as well as uppercuts. In round seven, Valdez had Wilson on wobbly legs. Once that happened, the Mexican did not look back. He kept throwing and landing hooks until referee Mark Nelson stepped in to stop the fight.
OSCAR VALDEZ IS BACK. pic.twitter.com/xiyI6KuN19
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) March 30, 2024
Post-Fight Interview
Óscar Valdez
“Guess I’m not [finished],” Valdez said. “I want to be an example. In boxing, you might lose, in life you might lose, but it’s an obligation to come back stronger. If I fall on the canvas, I’m going to get up and continue my path and my dream. That means anybody can do it.”
Liam Wilson
“That’s how boxing goes,” said Wilson. “I tried to box in the first few rounds, but my heart got the better of me. These are the kind of fights I dreamed of since I was a kid. But, I’ve got to learn from this and start using my boxing brain.”
Currently writing out of Toronto, Canada, Saadeq first became a boxing fan while living in Doha, Qatar. Looking to become more involved in the sport, he began writing about boxing and has had work published in outlets such as Seconds Out and Boxing Social. He looks forward to continue covering boxing on Big Fight Weekend.
