Hands in a high guard, elbows tucked in to protect his ribs, Oscar Valdez got low and sprung up with a lunging left hook that blasted Emanuel Navarrete flush against the temple.
The massive shot reverberated through the crowd at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona and impacted any boxing fans tuning in.
But aside from brushing his foe back as he wiped his nose and bit down on his mouthpiece, “Vaquero” was remarkably unfazed from the shot. Or at least that’s what he showed Valdez.
The reigning WBO junior lightweight world champion didn’t wince and even if the punch scrambled his bearings, Navarrete didn’t reveal it. He bounced forward on spry legs and threw a long right hand, instead.
This fifth-round sequence from their thrilling August 2023 fight, which Navarrete won by unanimous decision to retain his title, offers the conundrums Valdez faces heading into their rematch Saturday night in Phoenix, Arizona.
For starters, Navarrete (38-2-1, 31 knockouts) has a granite chin. Even when rocked by a punch and possibly hurt, even hiding the effects well, Navarrete’s legs don’t seem to betray him.
The other issue as demonstrated through that sample is Navarrete just keeps punching, having managed 1,038 punches thrown to Valdez’s 436 in that first fight.
Though he admits frustration over not hurting Navarrete with those kind of shots, Valdez (32-2, 24 KOs) also concedes that the champ’s strengths have taught him valuable lessons in preparation for their sequel.
“It’s very frustrating especially when your plan is to knock your opponent out,” Valdez recently told DAZN News about Navarrete showing a solid chin.
“So that was my focus inside the ring - try to focus on that one shot and that’s another mistake we did.”
That error of constantly loading up and looking for the knockout punch in their first fight has forced Valdez’s hand to approach the rematch with a different strategy: “Winning round-by-round, being a smarter fighter — not just looking for that home run. Getting first base and then second base … winning rounds first.”
As for a way to combat Navarrete’s incessant motor and high punching volume, Valdez believes he’s done his due diligence there, too.
“We know he trains in high altitude. This guy throws a high volume of punches, so we have to use our footwork to get away from those shots and counterpunch,” Valdez stated.
“We’ve been training very good as far as all those angles from those crazy looping uppercuts to the over right hands and those volume punches,” he continued. “We’re well prepared physically and mentally for this fight.”
Although he was outslugged in their original clash, Valdez can take solace knowing that his counterpunching was clean and effective, especially that left hook which found its mark across the 12-round bout.
But even if Valdez isn’t as telegraphed about loading up on those shots in the rematch, he’s hit with a self-prescribed dose of harsh reality.
“He could take a shot,” Valdez says of Navarrete. “It doesn’t matter how many shots you hit him with — his face will always look clean. A little jab that touches my face, it bruises up pretty easily. I’ve always had delicate skin in the face.”
That likely means that Valdez will have to drive his own punch numbers up to negate Navarrete’s penchant for piecing together five- and six-punch combinations, and this time use his clean, hard counterpunching to win a firefight.
This idea was encouraged and amplified during a recent roundtable featuring the Mexican warriors surrounded by Mexican boxing legends Julio Cesar Chavez, Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Juan Manuel Marquez.
“El Vaquero is not going to change. He already said it. Vaquero, that’s enough for him to win,” Cesar Chavez began pointing out. “The one that needs to adjust here is you, Oscar.”
To that assertion, Valdez tapped his right fist on the table in acknowledgment of the legend’s advice.
“You need to die on the line in this fight.”
But all while executing an effective strategy.
“Not every fighter has the chance to avenge their losses,” Valdez adds, “so this is my chance to come back and show the world that everything is possible when you’re disciplined and focused on the gameplan.”
Whatever transpires in Phoenix this weekend, there’s a feeling in the air that the sequel could possibly outdo their original fireworks.
“The first Navarrete vs. Valdez fight was incredible, and I have no doubt that Saturday’s rematch will elevate both men,” Top Rank founder and promoter Bob Arum told DAZN News. “These are two of Mexico’s great warriors, and both are determined to give the fans a sensational performance.”
Having already been a junior lightweight world champion, Valdez would like nothing more than to defeat Navarrete and wrap the WBO title around his waist by Saturday night’s end.
“It would mean the world to me,” the 33-year-old said. “I want to be the world champion again. You could lose inside the ring, you could lose in life, but you’re obligated to come back and come back strong.”
After all, nothing less will break Navarrete’s will.