By Kleberly Mendoza
03 Nov 2024, 18:00 PM EST
O’Shaquie Foster, super featherweight champion of the World Boxing Council (WBC), revealed that Óscar Valdez is his favorite to beat to Emanuel ‘Vaquero’ Navarrete in the rematch that will take place on Saturday, December 7 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
In the press conference after his victory over Robson Conciencao, Foster explained that he wants Valdez to beat Vaquero Navarrete to avenge a defeat that the Mexican gave him when they were amateur fighters.
“I want to beat Valdez for sure because we fought in the amateur category. He beat me. I was 17 years old and had just qualified for the trials. He beat me when the United States fought against Mexico. So that’s always been on my mind. I still want it back, but I like Valdez. Good luck buddy, sure.”, said.
O’Shaquie Foster regained his WBC belt this Saturday night and now wants to unify the super featherweight belts. That’s why he asked the winner of the rematch between Valdez and Navarrete where the title of the World Boxing Organization (WBO) that is in the hands of the Vaquero will be at stake.
In the first fight, Óscar Valdez and Vaquero Navarrete starred in a real war between Mexicans and exceeded fans’ expectations in August 2023. In the end, the Aztec monarch successfully defended his belt for the first time by defeating his compatriot by unanimous decision on the scorecards.
At the beginning of 2024, Valdez He tasted victory again and won the WBO interim title to secure the rematch. Instead, Vaquero Navarrete lost the opportunity to add a fourth belt in the 135-pound division after losing to Denys Berinchyk in May.
Óscar Valdez, 33, recovered from his last defeat against Vaquero Navarrete and tasted victory again against Liam Wilson, capturing the WBO interim super featherweight belt. The 33-year-old Mexican has a record of 31 victories, 23 of them by knockout, and two setbacks (both in title fights).
For his part, Emanuel ‘Vaquero’ Navarrete, 29, remains WBO super featherweight champion and lost the opportunity to add a new belt. The three-division Mexican champion has a record of 39 wins, (31 by knockout) two losses and one draw.
Keep reading:
· O’Shaquie Foster recovers the title and asks the winner of Navarrete vs. Valdez
· Óscar Valdez: Rematch with Vaquero Navarrete is the most important of my career
· Official: Vaquero Navarrete-Óscar Valdez and Divino Espinoza-Robeisy Ramírez in December