LAS VEGAS – Shakur Stevenson scoffed again Thursday at Oscar Valdez’s suggestion that he will attempt to box with Stevenson on Saturday night.

Stevenson reiterated during their final press conference that Valdez is simply attempting to dupe him into believing Valdez won’t aggressively go after him in their 12-round, 130-pound championship match at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Applying pressure and making their fight physically taxing is the only way, in Stevenson’s estimation, that Valdez can legitimately attempt to make their contest competitive.

Valdez vehemently disagrees with Stevenson’s assessment of his boxing ability. The proud Mexican champion pointed out that he is more than capable of using technical skill, but Valdez insisted that he has chosen to employ a fan-friendly style during his nine-year professional career.

“I think they underestimate my boxing career,” Valdez told krikya360.com following their press conference. “You know, I feel many people forget that I’m a two-time Olympian and I fought over 200 amateur fights, a lot of southpaws and a lot of similar styles. And that’s definitely helped me in my career. So, I choose sometimes to bang because I grew up watching fighters like Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera. They inspired me so big that I wanted to imitate ‘em in my professional career.

“But I choose to fight that way. I could also box as well, if it’s necessary. But I like to give the fans what they want. The fans wanna see blood, the fans wanna see a good fight, and that’s what I love to do. But if it’s necessary, I can box as well.”

The 31-year-old Valdez has won world titles in two weight classes.

The Nogales native vacated the WBO featherweight title, for which Stevenson was the mandatory challenger, in August 2019. He then dominated countryman Miguel Berchelt (38-3, 34 KOs) on his way to scoring three knockdowns and viciously knocking him out in their February 2021 fight for Berchelt’s WBC super featherweight title at MGM Grand Conference Center.

The left-handed Stevenson (17-0, 9 KOs), a 2016 Olympic silver medalist from Newark, New Jersey, has emerged as one of boxing’s most technically proficient fighters, as well as one of the sport’s top defensive boxers. Valdez (30-0, 23 KOs) intends to test those skills in a title unification bout ESPN will televise as the main event of a tripleheader (10 p.m. ET; 7 p.m. PT).

“Well, we’re just gonna have to see April 30th,” Valdez said. “My image is I’m pressuring him and in the later rounds he slows down, he starts slowing down because I’m ready to go all 12 rounds, full pressure. I’m ready to go to the distance. I’m ready to knock him out or whatever. But the main [objective] for me is just winning the fight.”

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for krikya360.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.