Boxing

Emanuel Navarrete vs. Oscar Valdez 2: Keys to victory for both fighters

Top Rank

Watch Navarrete vs. Valdez 2 on ESPN+ (US only)

Emanuel Navarrete and Oscar Valdez had a war of attrition last summer as the former walked away with a unanimous decision, retaining his WBO junior lightweight world championship.

The rematch should thrill also as the Mexican warriors are ready to set off major fireworks once again Saturday night in Phoenix, Arizona.

With so much in the balance with this championship bout, DAZN News lists the keys to victory for both Navarrete (38-2-1, 31 knockouts) and Valdez (32-2, 24 KOs).

Emanuel Navarrete’s keys to victory

Apply pressure, especially early

From the opening bell of their firefight last year, Emanuel Navarrete showed a willingness to fight forward with constant pressure.

He’s got to establish this pressure early once again as the optics of remaining on the front foot in the hunt of Oscar Valdez should go a long way towards banking rounds in the judges’ eyes.

Keep the volume high

Listen, Navarrete threw a staggering 1,038 punches to Valdez’s 436 in their original clash.

That kind of difference would be hard for any fighter to overcome, making it crucial for Navarrete to once again crank his punch output way up and outslug his fellow Mexican fighter.

Rack up multiple-punch combinations

Navarrete’s incessant motor, punch volume and his multiple-punch combinations go hand in hand. Go back and watch his fight with Valdez last August and you’ll see the champion string together up to six-punch combinations at certain points.

Piecing together these kinds of combinations, and possibly earning a knockdown along the way, will be a major key to “Vaquero” exiting the ring with his world championship intact.

Oscar Valdez’s keys to victory

Let his hands go

The veteran cannot afford to be nearly tripled-up in punch output again. That doesn’t mean that Valdez has to abandon his steady style, but he must let go of his hands more and drive up his punch volume.

The champion Navarrete is there to be hit and Valdez showed during their first clash that he can land repeatedly and cleanly on “Vaquero.” But the offerings don’t always need to be so premeditated and loaded up. He must touch Navarrete with stinging shots more in this rematch.

Time counterpunches

Valdez had success with his left hook on the counterpunch end against Navarrete.

But it’s a tricky predicament that Valdez finds himself in for this rematch. He should load up and detonate these powerful shots as they have the ability to be fight-changing damages. Not to mention, he’s using Navarrete’s aggression against him.

That said, Navarrete’s chin is damn-near iron and his motor is nonstop. Therefore, while Valdez should look to time and sit on his counterpunches for maximum impact, sometimes he needs to just whip that left hook around Navarrete’s guard for rapid responses that should score well on judges’ cards if he can keep those answers slinging back with consistency.

Resort to the clinch to reset

When Navarrete’s motor is revving, Valdez could look to force the clinch, reset and execute his offense.

It’s a way for Valdez to briefly slow down a firefight and frustrate the champion, pronouncing his clean counterpunches even more.

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