Notebook: Valdez, Wilson gain extra motivation thanks to raised stakes
Estrada, Valle vie for undisputed crown; Matias defense finalized; Mbilli to headline in 1st fight of TR deal; Matchroom's next Mexico card set; Derevyanchenko returns; Quick hits; Show and tell
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Oscar Valdez has won world titles at featherweight and junior lightweight and he hoped to win a second 130-pound belt from Emanuel Navarrete last August but lost a decision in a hellacious fight of the year contender.
For his return, Valdez signed to face Liam Wilson, who had stepped in to replace the injured Valdez in the vacant WBO 130-pound title bout against Navarrete last February. Wilson gave Navarrete all he could handle, including knocking him down in the fourth round, in a ninth-round knockout loss in another fight of the year contender.
Valdez and Wilson were essentially at the end of their preparation when on Tuesday the WBO agreed to sanction Valdez-Wilson for the vacant WBO interim junior lightweight title because Navarrete is moving up in weight for his next fight as he seeks a world title in a fourth division when he faces Denys Berinchyk for the vacant WBO lightweight belt on May 18 in San Diego.
That raised the stakes for Valdez-Wilson, which headlines the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ card on Friday (6:05 p.m. ET, co-feature at approximately 11 p.m. ET) at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
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