Two world title rematches are set to light up The Grand Canyon State, with legacies and redemption on the line.
Three-division champion Emanuel “El Vaquero” Navarrete (38-2-1, 31 KOs) defends his WBO junior lightweight world title against former two-division king Oscar Valdez (32-2, 24 KOs) in an all-Mexican main event this Saturday, Dec. 7, at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
Navarrete aims for a knockout in the sequel, while the Eddy Reynoso-trained Valdez believes he can turn the tables and become a three-time world champion.
In the co-feature, Rafael “El Divino” Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) defends his WBO featherweight world title against Cuba’s Robeisy “El Tren” Ramirez (14-2, 9 KOs), the man he unseated one year ago to seize the crown.
Espinoza looks to prove that his title-winning effort was no fluke, while Ramirez is eager to show what he can do at his best after personal issues hindered his preparation for their first encounter.
Navarrete-Valdez 2 & Ramirez-Espinoza 2 will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.
The ESPN+-streamed undercard begins at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT and includes the return of unbeaten Mexican junior welterweight contender Lindolfo Delgado (21-0, 15 KOs), who will face Jackson Marinez (22-3, 10 KOs) in a 10-round clash.
U.S. Olympic silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr. (11-0, 10 KOs) makes his fourth appearance of the year in an eight-round heavyweight tilt against once-beaten Mexican Issac Muñoz (18-1-1, 15 KOs), while welterweight contender Giovani Santillan (32-1, 17 KOs) looks to bounce back from his first pro defeat in a 10-rounder versus Fredrick Lawson (30-5, 22 KOs).
Promoted by Top Rank, tickets are still available via Ticketmaster.com.
This is what the fighters had to say at Thursday’s press conference.
Emanuel Navarrete:
“We all know that we both plan to come out and give a war and leave everything in the ring again. And what better way to do it than by having a co-main event that’s gonna eat things up?”
“The bar is gonna be set really high and so we’re gonna have to try to do better than that. It’s gonna be hard especially with these two great people {Espinoza and Ramirez} right next to us. It’s gonna be difficult for both me and Valdez. However, we don’t need much. All we need is for the bell to ring for us to go to war.”
“I’m focused 100 percent on him. I haven’t thought about anything beyond Valdez. And now he’s coming with a different strategy. The first fight helped us learn about each other. And now we will use the tools that we extracted from the first fight. And, aside from using our experience with each other, we will also come with the same heart as last time. And so, I can’t say much, but no doubt it will be not just a fight but an epic event, especially with the co-main before us.”
Oscar Valdez:
“The {Liam Wilson fight} was very important for me because boxing penalizes you if you have a lot of losses. It’s not like other sports where you can lose and you can do better in the next season.
“In boxing, most people don’t want to see you again after a couple of losses. So, doing that fight was very important for me. That’s why there was so much emotion for me after that fight. And that fight got me the ticket for this rematch.”
“This is not an easy fight. This is a hard task. But nothing in life that is worth it is going to be easy. It’s always going to be hard. So, we trained hard. I’m excited for this. I’m excited to face the great ‘Vaquero’ once again. It’s going to be a great fight.”
“I visualized this. I feel I can do a lot more in the sport. After I lost, I went back home and was obviously sad and disappointed in my performance. But then you go back to the gym, and you start to work out. Then, you start to see that you can do better. So, you have to visualize it first. And now we are here. Let’s get it on.”
Rafael Espinoza:
“God’s timing is perfect. We waited a bit for the rematch, but now we are here. And like I’ve said since the first fight, I’ve always wanted a rematch. because it was a war where we both gave everything. So, he deserved it, I deserved it, and the people deserved it.”
“Knowing you are a champion affects you mentally. As a champion, you know that you have a big commitment, and so I’ve become a better person and a better fighter as a result, and I’m enjoying it.”
“Yes, we all know about my height advantage, but I also have another advantage, and that’s my heart. So, I’m going to show my heart by giving everything in the ring this Saturday.”
Robeisy Ramirez:
“Well, it’s no secret that we’re not the only fighters here. The main event will also be a war. So I’m happy to be here. I’m excited to be with these champs here. And overall, we want the public to enjoy this event.”
“I think that to mention things from the past right now is unnecessary because it sounds like excuses, and I will never give excuses in this sport. Simply put, I think that I learned how you should fight when you’re not at 100% physically and mentally.”
“It was very nice to see my parents again recently. It had been six years. It’s no secret that I can’t return to Cuba, and so it filled me with a lot of satisfaction to be able to see them, to embrace them, to spend time with them, and I hope that after this victory, I can repeat that as soon as possible.”
Lindolfo Delgado:
“{My last bout against Bryan Flores} was not easy. It was a tough fight. I’m happy with the result. I’m happy it ended that way because it took me out of my comfort zone and pushed me to be better, work harder, and prepare for what is next.”
“This is what I’ve been waiting for. I’m focused on my fight because I know it’s a tough fight. I’m looking for an opportunity at a world title. I have what it takes to fight against anyone and against any of those champs. I’m just waiting for that opportunity.”
Richard Torrez Jr.:
“I was saying I don’t care about {the knockout streak}, but in the Uber back to the hotel from the venue {following a DQ win in September}, the driver asked me, ‘What’s your record?’ I was like 11-0 with, oh, 10 knockouts. So, that does kind of sting a little bit. But, at the end of the day, I’m here to win, and I’m here to put on good performances. I did that last time, and I’m looking to continue doing that.”
“{Muñoz} is rated the number one heavyweight in Mexico. He’s been on the amateur scene for a while, and he knows what he’s doing. I’m really excited for this fight.”
“Every time I train, I train for a world championship fight. I don’t train for the opponent. I train to be the best boxer I can be, and on Saturday night, you will see that.”
Giovani Santillan:
“Losing is tough, but it’s part of the sport. And that’s what I signed up for, to take on the hard, tough fights. Sometimes you lose, but that one loss is not going to hold me back from getting to where I want to get to.”
“Ever since I went back to camp, everyone has been supportive. They all believe in me, and since then, it’s been about working on strategy and game plan for this fight. But also my preparation. A lot of it has to do with my weight cut and things like that.”
“That’s the way I was raised by my dad. Sometimes, you fall, but you get back up and keep going. That’s the mentality I’ve had since {my defeat}.”
Saturday, December 7
ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ (10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT)
Emanuel Navarrete vs. Oscar Valdez, 12 rounds, Navarrete’s WBO Junior Lightweight World Title
Rafael Espinoza vs. Robeisy Ramirez, 12 rounds, Espinoza’s WBO Featherweight World Title
ESPN+ (5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT)
Lindolfo Delgado vs. Jackson Marinez, 10 rounds, Delgado’s WBO Latino Junior Welterweight Title
Richard Torrez Jr. vs. Issac Muñoz, 8 rounds, Torrez’s Jr. NABF Heavyweight Title
Albert Gonzalez vs. Gerardo Antonio Perez, 8 rounds, featherweight
Steven Navarro vs. Gabriel Bernardi, 6 rounds, junior bantamweight
Giovani Santillan vs. Fredrick Lawson, 10 rounds, welterweight
Art Barrera Jr. vs. Juan Carlos Campos Medina, 6 rounds, welterweight
Cesar Morales vs. Kevin Mosquera, 4 rounds, lightweight
DJ Zamora vs. Roman Ruben Reynoso, 8 rounds, junior lightweight
Credit: Top Rank
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