By Dan Ambrose: Former WBC super featherweight champion Miguel ‘El Alacran’ Berchelt has revealed that he’s moving up to the lightweight division [135], and he expects to be a world champion once again.
Berchelt, 30, is coming off a disappointing tenth round knockout loss to Oscar Valdez last February in a fight that he looked badly weight drained from the start.
In moving up to lightweight, Berchelt (38-2, 34 KOs) believes he’ll be able to rejuvenate his career and become champion soon. He says he has a new trainer, and he feels that’ll be essential to him turning things around following his loss to Valdez.
Berchelt wants to get a couple of tune-ups under his belt before going after the world champions at 135. With lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez expected to vacate his IBF, WBA, WBC Franchise & WBO 135-lb titles soon, Berchelt will be in the position to go after one of them.
Berchelt fighting in February or March
“I did a lot of great things at 130, and I think it’s time to go up to 135,” said Miguel Berchelt to Boxing Social. “There’s a lot of great opponents like Lomachenko.
“I feel super good, I feel super confident with my new trainer, and I feel I have all the capability of doing a great fight and becoming a champion in the lightweight division,” said Berchelt.
“I’ve been inactive a year. I expect to get one or two fights in late February or March. And then after those one or two fights that go the distance, go back and do it all,” said Berchelt.
It’ll be interesting to see if Berchelt has more energy at 135 than what we saw from him in his last fight against Valdez.
Berchelt looked drained entirely at the weigh-in for that fight and performed terribly. For Berchelt to have had a chance to beat Valdez, he would have needed to put in the type of effort against Francisco Vargas and Miguel ‘Mickey’ Roman.
“I think it’s a great fight,” said Berchelt in reacting to Oscar Valdez’s next fight against Emanuel Navarrete. “I think Navarrete is getting bigger.
“He’s already at 126 and ready to go to 130, but I think Oscar Valdez has the advantage. It will be a great fight because it’s always a great fight with Mexican vs. Mexican.
Teofimo beats Kambosos predicts Berchelt
“I expect a great fight, but I think Teofimo [Lopez] will come out with a great victory [over George Kambosos Jr.], but it’s boxing. Nothing is written down, and one punch can change the fight, but I think Teofimo is going to go out with a knockout victory.
“Thank you to my fans that are supporting me. I’ve got a new trainer and a new camp. I’m now in Vegas, and new things are coming, and big things are coming. I will be champ again in the lightweight division,” said Berchelt.
