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Emanuel Navarrete & Oscar Valdez
Ready For All-Mexican Duel
Emanuel Navarrete (37-1, 31 KOs) and Oscar Valdez (31-1, 23
KOs) are ready for an all-Mexican duel.
Navarrete will put his WBO junior lightweight world title on
the line against former two-division world champion Valdez
this Saturday, August 12, at Desert Diamond Arena in
Glendale, Arizona.
In the 10-round junior welterweight co-feature, rising
contender Lindolfo Delgado (17-0, 13 KOs) will square off
against Jair Valtierra (16-2, 8 KOs). U.S. Olympic Silver
Medalist Richard Torrez Jr. (5-0, 5 KOs) will open the
televised tripleheader in a six-round heavyweight tilt
against Willie Jake Jr. (11-3-2, 3 KOs).
Navarrete-Valdez, Delgado-Valtierra, and Torrez-Jake will be
broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m.
ET/7 p.m. PT.
The ESPN+-streamed undercard (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) will
feature the returns of unbeaten lightweight phenom Emiliano
Fernando Vargas and heavyweight southpaw Antonio "El Gigante"
Mireles.
Vargas (5-0, 6 KOs) will fight Mexico's Jorge Luis Marquez
Alvarado (3-5-1 2 KOs) in a four-rounder. Mireles will take
on hard-hitting Ohio native Dajuan Calloway (7-2, 7 KOs) in
a six-rounder.
In a six-round middleweight battle between two of Phoenix’s
crowd favorites, Sergio Rodriguez (7-0-1, 6 KOs) and Eduardo
Ayala (9-3-1, 3 KOs) will clash for intra-city bragging
rights. Rising junior welterweight prospect Ricardo
Ruvalcaba (9-0-1, 8 KOs) will make his fourth appearance of
2023 in a six-rounder against Adrian Orban (6-3, 4 KOs).
At Thursday's press conference, Navarrete and Valdez were
joined by Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales. The
Mexican legends will present the winner of Navarrete-Valdez
with a commemorative jacket designed by Tijuana-born fashion
designer Kiko Baez.
Below is what the fighters had to say:
Emanuel Navarrete
“We all know that this fight is raising a lot of
expectations. It would be totally fraudulent if Valdez and I
didn't give 100 percent in this fight. We all know that
everyone expects a war in the ring. We have all that it
takes to make for a great fight.”
“I have said that the fight with Valdez was necessary for my
career because of everything it represents. The rivalry
between Mexicans is something essential. It's a good thing
for the fight. But boxing fans have also put a lot of
pressure on me, saying that my career was missing that
cherry on top. They said that I needed an impressive and
iconic fight where I exert much more of myself. The fight
with Valdez is that kind of fight."
“Obviously, the fact that Barrera and Morales are here
indicates that our promoter wants to tell us something. We
have to do something at least similar to what they did. That
is the goal. Everything is set so that we can deliver a
great fight. I see Valdez, and I see that he's ready. We're
two days away from getting into the ring, and it's going to
be a great night on Saturday."
Oscar Valdez
“This fight means the world to me. The loss to Shakur
Stevenson sparked something different in me. It woke
something up. It made me realize how much I missed boxing
and how much I love the sport. The year away from boxing
made me miss it so much. I also miss being a world champion.
So, it also means the world to me to have another
opportunity to become a world champion again.”
“Camp was great. It can be in Lake Tahoe, San Diego,
Guadalajara or even China. camps are always the same for me.
We train hard for each fight, but for this fight we trained
even harder. We trained not only harder, but smarter. We
have to be smart in this fight. We had a perfect camp. Eddy
Reynoso and my team have done a great job, and we’re ready
for this fight.”
“It’s an honor for Barrera and Morales to be here. It means
the world to be because I grew up in the era of Barrera and
Morales. These two don’t know how much they inspired me.
That was the era that I grew up watching. They are
warriors.”
“I want to win. I want to be a world champion again. I want
to show the fans a good fight. So, I am ready.”
Marco Antonio Barrera
“I’m happy to have been invited for this tremendous fight.
Every time there is a Mexican boxer in the ring, you will
see a war. And on this occasion, Valdez and Navarrete know
what’s going to happen in the ring. I think it will be the
type of fight that all Mexicans know how to deliver."
“Fights between Mexicans will always be exciting. Here we
have two Mexicans in the ring who want to be in one of the
most historic fights between Mexican boxers. That’s what
they are looking to do.”
Erik Morales
“This is a great opportunity for these two Mexican boxers to
demonstrate that Mexican boxing is always very exciting.
I’ve had the opportunity to speak with both separately. Both
have said that there will be a great war. So, I’ve some to
see this great war.”
“Mexicans fight because they have a big heart and for pride.
The belts don’t matter. Nothing matters. The only thing that
matters is determining who is the best fighter from Mexico.”
Lindolfo Delgado
“I would like to have some belts soon. I’d like to fight for
a world title soon. I want to do what I have always dreamed
of doing, which is to be a champion. But first thing’s
first. I have to work hard and concentrate on this next
fight.”
“I’ve come with a strong desire to do something impressive
in this fight. I know that I have a strong opponent in front
of me who has come to win. But I want to deliver a great
show so that the people can enjoy it. That way, I can
continue being on great cards like this one.”
Jair Valtierra
“I’m very excited to be part of such a big card. I know that
is an opportunity for people to get to know me, and I will
take advantage of it.”
“A victory this Saturday would elevate my career to an elite
level. It will be the start of my story in professional
boxing as a big name. I feel more than ready for this
fight.”
Richard Torrez Jr.
“I’m feeling great. Camp was a long camp. But I’m excited
that it’s fight week because we get to really focus on the
fight now. We hit the gym last night when we got here. It’s
a must for us now. We usually go out and run and then
afterward we’ll shadowbox. It’s a way to acclimate and get
used to the area. No matter where you are, it’s good get
acclimated, and that first workout right after the flight is
the right way to do it.”
Emiliano Fernando Vargas
“This has become a lifestyle. I’ve been in camp pretty much
this whole year. I love what I do. And I wouldn’t trade it
for the world. I love going to the gym. I love feeling
tired. I love pushing that extra mile. At the end of the
day, to be able fight in front of thousands of fans on ESPN
is a blessing.”
Sergio Rodriguez
“I feel great. I feel honored to get another opportunity
here with Top Rank. It’s a highly anticipated fight between
two of Phoenix’s best middleweights. So, it’s a good way to
start the Navarrete vs. Valdez card.”
Eduardo Ayala
“It’s a great feeling and a great opportunity to be fighting
at home. A victory would mean a lot to me. Sergio and I have
a lot of friends in common. They’ve been hyping it up for a
while, so it would mean a lot.”
“Well, firstly, it gives me happiness to know that they want
to emulate what I did in boxing. They want expand the list
of great Mexican boxers. And that’s what these kinds of
fights do. It expands the list of Mexican boxers.”
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