Oscar Valdez is fresh off a resounding seventh-round knockout win against Liam Wilson.
The WBO’s interim 130-pound titleholder Valdez is already anticipating fights against a group headlined by Luis Alberto Lopez and O'Shaquie Foster.
But before Valdez (32-2, 24 KOs) begins the rigors of another training camp, the two-time Mexican Olympian is looking forward to the Cinco de Mayo weekend showdown between fellow countrymen Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia.
The Eddy Reynoso-trained Valdez is Alvarez’s stablemate.
“I'm happy, because if there is a pie, both sides go to Mexico, so it's a win-win,” Valdez told BoxingScene in an interview. “I'm happy for Jaime Munguia. He's not an easy opponent. People think Jaime Munguia is a walk in the park for Canelo. No, he's tough. He's got the heart. But I still got Canelo winning, because I see him train and the advantages he has [mentally] and with his talent.”
The undisputed super middleweight champion Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) and Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) will fight on May 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The clash will mark Alvarez’s first fight against a Mexican fighter since facing Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in 2017.
The boxing public has been pounding the table calling for Alvarez to fight undefeated contender David Benavidez, but Alvarez doesn’t seem to be too inclined to take on the encounter.
“He'll fight anybody. He's not afraid of fighting anybody,” said Valdez. “But you have other people who will say that ... They are always bringing in a new guy saying, 'Oh, you're ducking him.'
“Canelo is one of the hardest workers out there. I've seen him fight Saturday, rest Sunday, and be back at the gym by Monday. That shows you the type of fighter he is, especially when he has everything, and when he's done it all. He's always training, and that's one thing I admire about him.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.