Oscar Valdez: That Loss To Navarrete Was The Lowest I’ve Been In The Aftermath

It wasn’t a feeling Oscar Valdez expected to linger once August transitioned into September.

More than a month had passed, and he still couldn’t shake off his loss to countryman Emanuel Navarrete. Their August 12 ESPN headliner was entertaining to the crowd of 10,246 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The all-Mexico battle ended with Navarrete’s arm raised in victory via unanimous decision as he retained the WBO 130-pound title.

Valdez (31-2, 23 knockouts), No. 7 at 130, was left with a broken orbital bone around his right eye to go with the defeat. Time eventually healed the physical wounds. It required more time than expected, however, to mentally push past that summer night.

“That loss to ‘El Vaquero’ Navarrete was one of the saddest things, the lowest I’ve been in the aftermath,” Valdez told The Ring. “To go home and see my family feel bad for me, that was even worse. I can say, it was a hard couple of weeks after that. Even when I went back to the gym, I’m running the treadmill. I look up at the TV and go figure. It’s my fight with Vaquero Navarrete.

“I knew God was testing me. I had zero motivation to go back to the gym. But that’s where motivation doesn’t apply. Discipline applies. I didn’t care that I didn’t have the motivation because discipline always gets you through in the gym.”

Fittingly, Valdez returns to the scene of the crime for his next outing. A productive training camp precedes his scheduled twelve-round bout versus Australia’s Liam Wilson (13-2, 7 KOs). The two-time Olympian for Mexico and former two-division titlist will even challenge for a secondary version of the same belt.

The interim WBO 130-pound title is at stake for Friday’s ESPN+ main event from Desert Diamond Arena. The best-case scenario puts the winner in a lucrative rematch with Navarrete (38-1-1, 31 KOs), No. 1 at 130. The alternative is a default upgrade to full titlist should Navarrete remain at 135, where he challenges for a fourth-divisional title in May.

It’s a second chance that Valdez cherishes, given the generally unforgiving nature of boxing.

“Boxing is a cruel sport. When you lose, it’s almost like you’re out of the game and it’s on to the next one,” noted Valdez. “For me to be able to return to what is basically my home state and against a great fighter in Liam Wilson, it means the world to me. This is a career-defining fight for me.

“I train hard for every fight. But there was something different in training for this fight.”

There came greater purpose in preparation for his showdown with Wilson, who also lost to Navarrete in this very venue.

Valdez was still recovering from a prior injury and reduced to spectator as Wilson nearly shocked the world last February. The visiting Aussie dropped Navarrete for the first time in his career in round four. Navarrete eventually rallied back, as he dropped and stopped Wilson in the ninth round of their vacant WBO 130-pound title fight.

Two wins have followed for Wilson, both in Australia as he returns stateside and to the top contender level.

Valdez has not fought since his loss to Navarrete. His lone win in a span of more than two years was his unanimous decision over Adam Lopez last May 20. It came thirteen months after he was outpointed by Shakur Stevenson in their April 2020 RING and unified WBC/WBO 130-pound championship.

Needless to say, Friday represents a must-win situation for Valdez.

He’d already come to that realization by the time he was back in the presence of head trainer Eddy Reynoso. It took longer than expected, but it’s about the journey far more than the destination. The proper perspective was eventually obtained to move beyond what he considered the low point of his career.

“About a month-and-a-half, two months after the fight, I was okay,” noted Valdez. “It was still in the back of my mind. But out of nowhere, just training with Eddy, everything just clicked. It was a new mindset. That’s how it is in life, not just inside that ring. It was nothing but positive thinking.

“I feel fresh now. Mentally and physically, I’m all clear. I’m ready and more importantly, I’m enjoying it. I enjoyed every piece of this camp. You better believe I’ve gone all in for this fight.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for The Ring and vice president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Follow @JakeNDaBox

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