By Allan Fox: Oscar Valdez will be making his first defense of his WBC super featherweight belt against three-time Olympian Robson Conceicao on ESPN+ at the Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Arizona.
Last February, the unbeaten two-time Olympian Valdez (29-0, 23 KOs) is fresh off a tenth round knockout win offer WBA 130-lb champion Miguel Berchelt in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Valdez’s victory was arguably his career-best, as many boxing fans had predicted going into the contest that Berchelt would be too much for him.
But Valdez proved them wrong, dominating the 29-yer-old ‘El Alacran’ Berchelt (37-2, 33 KOs), dropping him three times before knocking him out in the tenth round.
Is Conceicao a threat to Oscar Valdez?
In Valdez’s first defense of his new WBC 130-lb title, his promoters at Top Rank have chosen to match him against the undefeated three-time Brazilian 2016 Olympian gold medalist Conceicao.
At this point, we don’t know how good the 29-year-old Conceicao is because he’s fought largely lower-echelon level fighters during his five-year professional career, which began in 2016.
It’s quite understandable why Conceicao’s management has chosen to take the slow approach with his career, as he’s spent so much in the amateur ranks. But with that said, this is Conceicao’s moment of truth in taking on the 29-year-old WBC world champion Valdez. It’s sink or swim for Conceicao.
If he’s got the ability, he’s going to have to show it on the night because if he loses to Valdez, it could take him years before he’ll get another crack at a world title.
At 29, Conceicao can’t afford to burn through another five years before he’s given another title shot, which is why he’s got to make the most of this opportunity on September 10th.
Is Conceicao a threat to Oscar Valdez?
“Valdez is coming off a career-best performance and wants to put on a spectacular showing in front of the great Tucson fans,” said Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.
“Conceicao has been waiting for this shot ever since he turned pro, and having promoted him for his entire career, I know he’ll be at his very best,” said Arum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra-1NBDAi48
Well, seeing that Conceicao has only been a professional for five years, he hasn’t exactly been waiting for a long time for his title shot compared to some fighters.
What you say is that for a three-time Olympian, Conceicao has been matched weakly since he turned professional, and he’s been brought a long way too slowly for someone with that kind of experience.
When you look at how Conceicao has been matched as a pro compared to two-time Olympic gold medalist Vasily Lomachenko, it’s like night and day.
When you look at how fast Loma was moved and compare it to Conceicao, it’s troubling. Lomachenko fought for a world title in his second professional fight against Orlando Salido in 2014 after being in the pro ranks for one year. The management for Conceicao should have moved him faster than they have.
Will Valdez’s chin hold up?
With Oscar Valdez’s history of being hurt in fights, you can’t rule out a victory for Conceicao on September 10th. However, what hurts Conceicao’s chances of winning the fight is his lack of experience against first-tier opposition as a pro. But with his amateur experience, it might not matter.
“I already won a gold medal for my country, and now I will bring home a world title. With great determination, I will deliver a great performance. It will be a true spectacle,” said Conceicao.
In the co-feature bout on the Valdez vs. Conceicao card, super featherweight contender Gabriel Flores Jr (20-0, 7 KOs) will be facing Luis Alberto Lopez (22-2, 12 KOs) in a 10 round fight.