Valdez stops Wilson to win WBO interim 130 belt in exciting battle
Seniesa Estrada outpoints Yokasta Valle in fast-paced fight to become the first undisputed women's strawweight champion
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Oscar Valdez returned to the site of his most heartbreaking loss and exorcised the demons in a vintage performance.
He had heard the whispers that he was all done at age 33 and having been through many brutal battles, including the emotionally crushing decision loss to Emanuel Navarrete challenging for his WBO junior lightweight title in a fight of the year contender in August at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Valdez called the loss devastating, but he returned to the same venue on Friday night and fought a very intelligent and spirited fight en route to a seventh-round knockout of Liam Wilson to win the vacant WBO interim junior lightweight title before a pro-Valdez crowd of 7,102 in the main event of the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ card.
Using every bit of his guile and experience, Valdez started slowly, picked up steam, overcame a damaging shot to his ribs on the right side and a cut over his left eye to break down and eventually stop Wilson, who he dragged into the kind of mano a mano battle that Valdez has made a career out of.
When referee Mark Nelson stopped the fight after Valdez dished out a series of clean unanswered shots, he fell to all fours and began crying tears of joy before celebrating with trainer Eddy Reynoso and his father, Oscar Valdez Sr.
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