ESPN/Top Rank will televise the 130-pound unification between the top two boxers in the division as WBC champion Oscar Valdez and WBO king Shakur Stevenson hook it up from Las Vegas.
Valdez barely escaped with his title with a close decision over Robson Conceicao in his last fight but between his PED issues entering that fight and Valdez seems to fight down to the level of his competition (Conceicao is a good fighter but Valdez seemed to take him lighter than he should have) and it's easy to see how an average effort arrived.
Valdez's win over Miguel Berchelt may have looked better when it happened (Berchelt was since knocked out by Jeremiah Nakathila) than it does now but a case can be made that perhaps Berchelt was made a shot fighter by Valdez rather than Valdez simply got to Berchelt first.
Stevenson may be similar to Valdez in one way as he is dominating when motivated by his opponent as he tore up veteran Jamel Herring to win the WBO title in the fight after a snoozer of a decision over Jeremiah Nakathila.
Stevenson is my choice here as Valdez has one chance- get inside and make this an ugly and physical fight and hope that Stevenson wilts under the pressure and even with this strategy Valdez has to start early and carry the pace for the full twelve rounds.
The co-feature on the Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano card is our other challenge fight as veteran junior middleweights Liam Smith and Jessie Vargas meet in a crossroads bout for both fighters.
Smith, a former WBO champion, loses against elite competition (Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia) and if you aren't elite, Smith likely beats you as his only other loss was a decision to Magomed Kurbanov that could have been given to either man.
Vargas, a former WBO welterweight champion, has lost in each of his tries against elite competition (Timothy Bradley, Manny Pacquiao, Mikey Garcia) but always gives a good effort.
This appears to be a closely matched fight which I give a small edge to the naturally larger man in Liam Smith.
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