Las Vegas, NV: It was as good as advertised. One of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, Miguel Berchelt, put his coveted WBC Jr. Lightweight Belt on the line against the undefeated, former WBO Featherweight Champion, Oscar Valdez, on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. True fight fans were expecting to see an all-out brawl between these two future Mexican legends. What they saw was a fight with good intentions that went sideways for the champ rather quickly. A few rounds into the fight, Valdez hit Berchelt with an equilibrium shot, from which Miguel never fully recovered. On shaky legs for several rounds more, it was apparent Berchelt was seriously hurt to the point where the fight would most likely be stopped at any given moment. Instead, right at the bell to end the tenth round, Valdez landed a perfectly-timed left hook and dropped the champ to call it a night. Although Berchelt was knocked unconscious, no count was necessary, as Referee Russell Mora didn’t need to see any more from the moment the punch landed. Oscar Valdez (29-0, 23 KOs) is now a two-division world champion. Please don’t forget he’s also undefeated and has now added Miguel Berchelt (37-2, 33 KOs) to the impressive résumé of fighters he has beaten, which includes Jayson Velez, Scott Quigg, and Miguel Marriaga, among others.
Undoubtedly, Valdez will enjoy this hard-earned victory, as well he should. Then, what’s next for him? Perhaps a rematch with Miguel Berchelt would be the best bet, not to mention mandatory for Valdez in order to keep his WBC strap should Miguel want that fight. Gabriel Flores (20-0, 7 KOs) won his bout over the aforementioned Jayson Velez (29-8, 21 KOs) in the co-main event last night and did so in impressive fashion. Flores, who is known for his distance fights, earned a rare TKO victory to beat the experienced contender. Perhaps a Valdez-Flores matchup is on the horizon.
What about Berchelt? After having a precautionary CAT Scan at the local hospital after the event, it was determined that Miguel is doing just fine. With a little bit of rest, it’s probable he will be right back in the gym and ready to take on his next challenge, just like the Mexican warrior he is. The next logical fight for him would most likely be a rematch with Oscar Valdez, as that would not only be the most attractive fight in the division, but also the most lucrative and fan-friendly.
Congratulations to the new WBC Jr. Lightweight Champion of the World, Oscar Valdez, and welcome to the new Top 10 pound-for-pound list!
–Mike Feinberg
TFN Reporter
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