Liam Wilson vs Oscar Valdez Preview March 29th, 2024
Former WBO Featherweight and WBC Super Featherweight Champion Oscar Valdez of Mexico will be taking on Australia’s Liam Wilson in a 12-round junior lightweight bout this Friday, March 29th. The fight from Glendale, Arizona can be seen live in America on ESPN+ while fans in the UK can catch it on Sky Sports Arena. Valdez last fought in August when he dropped a 12-round unanimous decision to WBO Super Featherweight Champion Emanuel Navarrete. Valdez had lost his Super Featherweight Title by unanimous decision to Shakur Stevenson a year earlier. Wilson last saw action in December when he beat Jackson Jon England via a 10-round unanimous decision.
Wilson vs Valdez Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Liam Wilson +300
- Oscar Valdez -400
My Pick
The 28-year-old Wilson, who fights out of Redcliffe, Australia, climbs through the ropes with a mark of 13-2 with 7 Ko’s and has boxed 90 rounds since making his pro debut in 2018. He had a solid amateur career before that as he made it to the quarterfinals of the 2018 Commonwealth Games and won the 2017 Australian National Championship and 2016 Australian Golden Gloves. He also captured the 2013 Australian Youth National Championship and fought in several other top-grade tournaments.
Wilson measures just over 5-feet-9-inches tall with a 70-inch reach and carries average power in his fists as 53.8 per cent of his wins have come by stoppage, but his last three wins have gone the distance. His power definitely shouldn’t be taken lightly though as he nearly pulled off an upset against Emanuel Navarrete last year when he dropped him in the fourth round. Navarrete was the recipient of a long and controversial count by referee Chris Flores as video replays reportedly clocked Navarrete has having 27 rounds to recover from the knockdown after spitting out his mouthpiece.
Wilson was then stopped five rounds later. Since turning pro he’s won the vacant WBO International, IBF Youth, Australian, and WBO Asia Pacific Super Featherweight Belts. He was stopped in the fifth round by Joe Noynay in July 2021 in his first shot at the WBO Asia Pacific Title after being dropped in the first and fourth rounds but stopped Noynay in the second round of their rematch eight months later. Noynay missed weight in that fight and the belt was on the line for Wilson only. After losing to Navarrete, he bounced back with a 10-round unanimous decision over Carlos Maria Alanis for the vacant WBO International Super Featherweight Title and then beat England in his last outing.
The 33-year-old Valdez owns an impressive mark as he’s 31-2 with 23 Ko’s and has 214 rounds of experience under his belt since turning pro in 2012 after a stellar amateur career. He has better-than-average power as 74.2 per cent of his victories have been by stoppage, but has gone the distance in his last four fights, seven of his past 12 and has lost two of his last three. Valdez measures just over 5-feet-5-inches tall with a 66-inch reach which sees him give up three inches in height and four inches in reach to Navarette.
Valdez is the only two-time boxing Olympian from Mexico, but failed to win a medal at the 2008 and 2012 Games in Beijing, China and London, England. Valdez did win a dozen medals in other international competitions though and had more than 200 amateur bouts. One of these included a loss to Vasyl Lomachenko and he was also beaten by Robson Conceicao in the gold medal match at the Pan American Games over 12 years ago. Valdez avenged the defeat to Conceicao as a pro when he dealt him a controversial 12-round unanimous decision in September, 2021.
Even though Valdez won the vacant WBO Featherweight Title in 2016 when he stopped Matias Rueda in the second round and defended it six times, he wasn’t facing a steady diet of Grade A boxers until stopping Miguel Berchelt in the 10th round in February, 2021 to win the WBC Super Featherweight Title. However, he has wins over fine competitors such as Scott Quigg, Jason Sanchez, Jayson Velez, Miguel Marriaga, Hiroshige Osawa, Evgeny Gradovich, Chris Avalos, Jose Ramirez, Alberto Garza and Ruben Tamayo. He’s also won the WBO NABO Featherweight, NABF Junior Featherweight, and NABF Junior Super Featherweight Titles as a pro.
Prediction…
Wilson will have a distinct reach and size advantage over Valdez but he doesn’t match him when it comes to overall aggressiveness and power, even though he dropped and hurt Emanuel Navarrete. While both boxers have been on the canvas before and Wilson has been stopped, I believe Valdez has the better chin. Valdez’s shining moment came when he stopped the hard-hitting Miguel Berchelt in a tremendous display and if he’s anywhere near that level this weekend he should be able to take care of Wilson in a relatively close fight.
A close call but Valdez has the better boxing skills and chin and possesses more power.
Play Valdez -400 @ BetOnline.ag
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Liam Wilson betting • Oscar Valdez betting