By Matt Lieberman: Oscar Valdez (28-0, 22 KOs) has several plans to utilize on Saturday to dethrone WBC super featherweight champion Miguel Berchelt (37-1, 33 KOs). If Plan A doesn’t work for Valdez, he’ll move to Plan B and Plan C if needed.
The two-time Olympian and former WBO featherweight champion Valdez is ready to do whatever it takes to beat Berchelt, 29, in their headliner fight this Saturday on ESPN in ‘The Bubble’ at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Valdez, 29, is the underdog with the oddsmakers, and he doesn’t have any pressure on him. He’s using this as motivation to fight harder so that he can prove everyone wrong.
He says his trainer Eddy Reynoso has made him a complete fighter, so it will be interesting to see the improvements.
Valdez looks bigger, and that’s perhaps one change that Reynoso has made on him. He’s now looking more like a true super featherweight than when he first moved up in 2019.
Valdez has multiple plans for Berchelt
“This is an opportunity of a lifetime. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve dreamed of this moment, fighting for the WBC world title; this is my chance,” said Oscar Valdez.
“I’m excited for the moment, and I’ve had one of my best training camps I’ve ever had. I’m well prepared, and I’m going against all the odds; I’m not the favorite.
“A lot of people think Berchelt is going to have an easy fight, a walk in the park, as they say. But I’m ready for the test. I’ve prepared not only physically but mentally as well. I can’t wait to step in the ring.
“I’ve prepared with a Plan A and a Plan B,” Valdez continued. “I know Berchelt has the reach advantage because he’s the taller fighter, but sometimes, he doesn’t use his reach.
“Sometimes, he likes to go head to head and fight on the inside. That’s what we’re prepared for.
“We’re ready for whatever game he wants to play. We’ve sparred with tall sparring partners, with sparring partners that like to use their reach and like to fight on the inside. So we’re ready for whatever he brings,” said Valdez.
With Berchelt likely to be putting massive pressure on Valdez, it’s good that he has different plans to try and beat him.
Valdez may need to box Berchelt the way he did against Scott Quigg after he suffered a broken jaw in the fifth.
Oscar unconcerned with expert’s opinions
“They’re just words; they’re other people’s opinions,” Valdez said in reacting to fans saying he’s going to lose to Berchelt.
“They don’t know what I go through. They don’t see that I wake up early and put in extra hours in the gym.
“They’re just words coming out of other people’s mouths. They’re just opinions. I consider myself a very disciplined fighter; I give myself a 100% in the gym.
“Not because an expert or someone giving their boxing analysis says that I’m going to lose, it means it’s going to happen. So I’m a very positive guy.
“I get up in the morning, and I visualize myself as a winner. I’ve always done that ever since I was an amateur in every fight of my career, and so far, it’s gone well.
“I know it’s not going to be an easy fight, but it’s not impossible. No opponent out there is invincible, and that’s why we work hard to prove everybody wrong to achieve my dream, which I’ve said before is to become the WBC world champion,” Valdez said.
It’s got to be disappointing for Valdez to be in the biggest fight of his career, and he’s the underdog.
Most boxing fans are giving Valdez no chance of winning the fight, which is surprising because he’s an exceptional talent.
Reynoso has improved Valdez
“I’m not pressured, and I’m not going to go out and try and give a Fight of The Year or knockout of the year or do something crazy like that,” said Oscar Valdez.
“What I will do is try and give 100% and leave my energy inside the ring. Every time I’ve done that, it’s been a great fight.
“It’s not like we’re trying to imitate a war. If a war happens, it just happens out of nowhere because we’re two boxers trying to give it our all and not back down and try and win something.
“Training with Eddy [Reynoso] has made me more of a complete boxer, and this fight against Berchelt is going to bring the best out of me, and I believe the fans have never seen me at the top of my abilities, and they’re going to see it in this fight.
“I have proven it before that I’ve fought with an injured rib, and I’ve fought before with a broken jaw. That makes me push through it with the way I think.
“Losing is never an option for me, and I keep going and going. I’ve already experienced these difficult experiences, and I just keep going.
That’s why I believe my best fight is going to be against Miguel Berchelt,” said Valdez.
The best way that Valdez can try and beat Berchelt is if he boxes him because it’s not going to be tough if he tries to beat him at his own game.
While it’s possible Valdez can get the better of Berchelt by trading, but it’s risky and not a great way to try and beat him.
Being underdog motivates Oscar
“Being an underdog for the first time in my career has motivated me greatly,” Oscar said. I’ve used that as motivation, and it’s kept me going.
‘It’s motivated me that someone that I admire a lot, Julio Cesar Chavez, said that Berchelt is going to win the fight. It doesn’t affect me or put pressure on me. I believe shutting mouths is one of the most beautiful things in life.
“For this fight, we’re not going to have fans, so we’re going to have to look for motivation from somewhere else,” Valdez said.
“Sometimes in my fights, the fans are the ones that get me through, but in this event, we’re not going to have fans, unfortunately.
“So I’ve got to look for motivation outside that. For me, there’s no bigger motivation than coming back to my family the winner and giving the WBC belt to my family. I have the mindset of a champion, and that’s what I’m thinking about,” said Oscar Valdez.
It’s got to motivate Valdez in a big way because not only is he the underdog, he’s not even considered a live dog. They view Valdez as someone Berchelt is going to KO easily.
Accomplishing a dream
“By winning this fight, I will accomplish two dreams of mine,” said Oscar. “Since I was a little kid, I’ve always dreamed of having the WBC belt.
“Other than that, I’ve also, and this will be in the long term, it will bring me a step closer to becoming one of the biggest names in Mexican boxing history.
“My undefeated record, it really doesn’t mean much to me. If I have an undefeated record, and I didn’t accomplish my dreams.
“Great fighters like Muhammad Ali, Chavez, Marquez, Barrera, they all lost. What matters is what you do after you get a loss. But right now, I’m not thinking about that, and losing is not in my mind,” said Valdez.
Winning the WBC title is obviously a great dream for Valdez to have, but just beating Berchelt is what will win him appreciation and respect from fans. The title is secondary to what Valdez can accomplish by beating Berchelt.
Berchelt will make Valdez a better fighter
“This fight against Miguel Berchelt is going to bring the better fighter I have inside me because I’m going to rise to the competition,” said Valdez.
“A lot of people don’t know, but I have a very good background as an amateur. I don’t have just one style.
“Coming forward and throwing a lot of punches, it’s not my only style. I can also box, I can move, I can use defense if necessary. That’s what I’ve been working on in the gym.
“Like I said, we have a Plan A and a Plan B, and even a Plan C. We can box if we have to box. If if it comes to brawling and we have to push him back, that’s something we’re going to do as well.
“So it all depends on what Miguel Berchelt brings to the table, and that’s what we’re going to see.
“We’re definitely going to be the smarter fighter inside the ring with Miguel Berchelt. I’m well prepared mentally and physically and getting a big win on Saturday.
“I’ve got a big opportunity in front of me, and I’m going to take advantage of it. I’m going to leave it all on the line, as we say in Mexico.
“I promise I’m going to give a great performance on Saturday. Don’t miss it because this fight has all the ingredients to be a Fight of The Year candidate,” said Oscar Valdez.
Berchelt should bring out the best in Valdez because he’s going to need to use every trick in the book to get a win.