Boxing Challenge: Valdez stops Velez late

The ESPN/Top Rank series closed its doors on the "Bubble" for the summer and will be back to the normal Saturday schedule soon with what the company was hoping for as former WBO featherweight champion Oscar Valdez battled past Jayson Velez and onto an exciting fall pairing with WBC junior lightweight champion Miguel Berchelt.

The tenth round knockout wasn't without its perils early as Valdez appeared to be struggling with his style "merger" between his own straight forward style and the changes brought on by his trainer Eddy Reynoso since being hired by team Valdez after his victory over Scott Quigg.
Velez was effective early against Valdez, who seems to "think" about what to do in a boxing style rather than coming naturally to him, but Valdez stemmed the tide with a left hook that dropped Velez near the conclusion of the fifth round.
After the knockdown, Valdez was far more effective in fending off the attacks of Velez to win the next four rounds on my card, and when Velez was stung in the ninth round, it appeared that the only question in the fight was could Velez make it to the end.
Velez couldn't as Valdez knocked him down in the tenth with Velez barely beating the count and with Velez shaken, Valdez pummeled Velez into the ropes giving referee Tony Weeks no choice other than to end the fight.

I had Valdez up 87-83 entering the final round, but finishing the fight convincingly could be a confidence builder for the Berchelt title challenge for the undefeated Valdez.
Still, I'm not a huge believer in Valdez in this fight against Berchelt.
Styles make fights and neither the "old" nor "new" Valdez seems to be a good fit for the bigger and harder punching Berchelt.
In either of the two scenarios, Valdez comes charging at the bigger puncher and gets punished for his troubles or he tries to box from the outside with the hybrid boxer-puncher manner to be unable to cope with the larger man from long-range.
I'm looking forward to the fight and it will have plenty of action, but short of Valdez landing big against Berchelt, who suffered his only loss by first-round knockout, I don't see Valdez winning against Berchelt and it could be the type of fight that has the type of pounding that shortens the peak of careers.

In the other boxing challenge fight, former WBO junior featherweight champion Isaac Dogboe stopped former title challenger Chris Avalos in the eighth and final round of a featherweight pairing.
Dogboe won six of the seven rounds before stopping Avalos in the eighth.
The stoppage seemed to be a little early with Avalos wobbled, but not seriously hurt after a Dogboe right hand and with thirty-five seconds remaining, a case could be made that Avalos might have made it to the final bell.
However, it wasn't going to change the outcome and it saved Avalos from a few more punches taken.
Dogboe will still have to prove more in the 126-pound division, but it was a good start considering his over a year away from the ring after his two losses against Emanuel Navarette.
As for Avalos, who has won only one of his last six fights, it may be time to consider retirement as other than collecting paychecks, I don't see what more he has left to give in the ring.

In the boxing challenge, Ramon Malpica added four points to my two to cut my lead in the challenge to 71-65.
The stoppage by Isaac Dogboe was the difference with Ramon gaining an extra point for calling the round.