WBO featherweight champion Oscar Valdez (24-0, 19 KOs) is in negotiations to defend his title against Andoni Gago (20-3-3, 6 KOs) on January 12. This will be the first fight for the 27-year-old Valdez since he suffered a broken jaw last March against Scott Quigg.
Gago is a six-year pro from Spain, who has lost to Scott Quigg by 9th round knockout in 2017, and beaten by contender Viorel Simion in 2016. Gago has never beaten anyone of note. He’s generally been beating journeyman and domestic level opposition in Spain since he turned pro in 2012. When Gago did try stepping it up against Quigg and Simion, it didn’t workout well for him. It’s asking a lot for a fighter of Gago’s class to compete with a champion like Valdez.
Valdez has reportedly made changes to his fighting style recently to become more defensive, considering he’s taken a lot of punishment in his last three fights against Quigg, Genesis Servania and Miguel Marriaga. Valdez was hurt in each of those fights by hard head shots. Some boxing fans believe that Valdez’s punch resistance isn’t the same since the Marriaga fight. Valdez was wobbled badly by Marriaga on a couple of occasions in their fight last year in March 2017. Valdez did win the fight by a 12 round decision, but it was far from an easy one for him. Marriaga rallied late and looked like the stronger guy at the end.
It’s unclear whether the World Boxing Organization will sanction the Valdez-Gago fight, since the 33-year-old Gago isn’t rated in the top 15 by their organization. Sometimes things like that have a way of working out though with fighters suddenly appearing in the top 15 rankings overnight. It’s quite possible we could see Gago showing up in the WBO’s top 15, which would make the Valdez fight less of a problem in the eyes of the boxing world. It’s hard for the top contenders to see a 2nd tier fighter being given a title shot ahead of them. On the flip side, you can understand why a fighter like Valdez would want to take a tune-up fight after the bad jaw injury he suffered against the powerful Scott Quigg eight months ago in March. However, Valdez is a world champion, and some boxing fans feel that it’s not fair for the top 15 contenders to have a belt holder defend his belt against lower level fighters. The logical thing for a champion like Valdez to do would be for him to vacate his WBO title if he feels he needs to take on a non-contender for a title defense, but obviously he’s not going to do that. It comes down to what the WBO is comfortable with. If they’re good with their champions bypassing the top contenders to take tune-up fights in title defenses of their belt, then they can give the Valdez vs. Gago fight the green light. But if they care about wanting their top 15 contenders to get title.
Oscar Valdez vs. Andoni Gago - OFF
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Ruthless-RKO
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Oscar Valdez vs. Andoni Gago - OFF
Last edited by Ruthless-RKO on 29 Jan 2019, 03:05, edited 5 times in total.
Re: Oscar Valdez vs. Andoni Gago - January 12, 2019
lol total trash, maybe top rank can match zurdo with this gago guy after too 
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Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Oscar Valdez vs. Andoni Gago - January 12, 2019
So he was more damaged than Quigg?
Not fought since March.
TBH, he’s got a good engine but lacks defence. Gets hit way too much. His previous fights against Servania and whoever else it was were supposed to be straight forward wins, but turned out to be difficult fights because that’s was Valdez does.
Not fought since March.
TBH, he’s got a good engine but lacks defence. Gets hit way too much. His previous fights against Servania and whoever else it was were supposed to be straight forward wins, but turned out to be difficult fights because that’s was Valdez does.
Re: Oscar Valdez vs. Andoni Gago - January 12, 2019
Not sure how Servania would've been a walk in the park. The dude was a top prospect and had a KO of the year contender. He showed he belongs with the best with his performance.Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑21 Nov 2018, 13:59 So he was more damaged than Quigg?
Not fought since March.
TBH, he’s got a good engine but lacks defence. Gets hit way too much. His previous fights against Servania and whoever else it was were supposed to be straight forward wins, but turned out to be difficult fights because that’s was Valdez does.
Not sure why Servania is still fighting crap opposition, though. I think he should fight someone like Quigg or Selby.
Valdez is even worse because he's the damn champion. Quigg and Servania were good defenses, but this one is awful.
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Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Oscar Valdez vs. Andoni Gago - January 12, 2019
Oscar Valdez-Andoni Gago Finalized For January 12 In Tucson
Oscar Valdez has an opponent for his comeback from a broken jaw.
The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that Valdez will oppose Spain’s Andoni Gago on January 12 in Tucson, Arizona, where Valdez lived for several years as a child. Mexico’s Valdez will make an optional defense of his WBO featherweight title against Gago in a 12-round, 126-pound title bout ESPN will televise.
Valdez, 27, will fight for the first time since suffering a fractured jaw during the fifth round of his 12-round victory over Scott Quigg on March 10. Mexico’s Valdez (24-0, 19 KOs) fought through that injury for six-plus rounds to defeat England’s Quigg by unanimous decision in an entertaining encounter ESPN aired 8½ months ago from StubHub Center in Carson, California.
The 33-year-old Gago (20-3-3, 6 KOs) is ranked No. 14 among the WBO’s featherweight contenders. The unknown challenger will fight for a world title for the first time and is considered a safe foe for Valdez in the defending champion’s first bout back from such a serious injury.
Gago is 4-0-1 since former IBF featherweight champ Lee Selby stopped him in the ninth round of their March 2017 bout at O2 Arena in London. Wales’ Selby (26-2, 9 KOs) beat Gago in what was scheduled as a 10-round, non-title bout between his four successful defenses.
Oscar Valdez has an opponent for his comeback from a broken jaw.
The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that Valdez will oppose Spain’s Andoni Gago on January 12 in Tucson, Arizona, where Valdez lived for several years as a child. Mexico’s Valdez will make an optional defense of his WBO featherweight title against Gago in a 12-round, 126-pound title bout ESPN will televise.
Valdez, 27, will fight for the first time since suffering a fractured jaw during the fifth round of his 12-round victory over Scott Quigg on March 10. Mexico’s Valdez (24-0, 19 KOs) fought through that injury for six-plus rounds to defeat England’s Quigg by unanimous decision in an entertaining encounter ESPN aired 8½ months ago from StubHub Center in Carson, California.
The 33-year-old Gago (20-3-3, 6 KOs) is ranked No. 14 among the WBO’s featherweight contenders. The unknown challenger will fight for a world title for the first time and is considered a safe foe for Valdez in the defending champion’s first bout back from such a serious injury.
Gago is 4-0-1 since former IBF featherweight champ Lee Selby stopped him in the ninth round of their March 2017 bout at O2 Arena in London. Wales’ Selby (26-2, 9 KOs) beat Gago in what was scheduled as a 10-round, non-title bout between his four successful defenses.
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Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Oscar Valdez vs. Andoni Gago - February 2, 2019
Oscar Valdez Ring Return Pushed Back, January 12 Tucson Show Cancelled
Oscar Valdez’ long awaited ring return will now take place a little later—and a lot farther from home—than expected.
The unbeaten featherweight titlist was slated for a January 12 homecoming in Tucson, Arizona—as previously reported by BoxingInsider.com—but those plans along with the entire show have been scrapped altogether.
Valdez’ scheduled opponent, Spain’s Andoni Gago was unable to secure a travel visa in time to make the trip to the United States. An inability to secure an approved opponent within the Top 15 featherweight rankings for the World Boxing Organization (WBO)—whose title Valdez has held since July ’16—prompted the Top Rank brass to cancel the entire event.
As for Valdez, he will still remain a part of the first show of 2019 on ESPN’s flagship network. His ring return is pushed back by three weeks, as he will land on the undercard of a February 2 show in Frisco, Texas. His bout will come in supporting capacity to the light heavyweight title fight rematch between Eleider Alvarez and Sergey Kovalev.
The show comes on Super Bowl weekend, which will leave Valdez (24-0, 19KOs) inactive for 46 weeks by the time he enters the ring for the 5th defense of his featherweight strap. The extended break largely stems from his recovering from a broken jaw suffered in a gutsy 12-round win over Scott Quigg this past March in Carson, California.
Oscar Valdez’ long awaited ring return will now take place a little later—and a lot farther from home—than expected.
The unbeaten featherweight titlist was slated for a January 12 homecoming in Tucson, Arizona—as previously reported by BoxingInsider.com—but those plans along with the entire show have been scrapped altogether.
Valdez’ scheduled opponent, Spain’s Andoni Gago was unable to secure a travel visa in time to make the trip to the United States. An inability to secure an approved opponent within the Top 15 featherweight rankings for the World Boxing Organization (WBO)—whose title Valdez has held since July ’16—prompted the Top Rank brass to cancel the entire event.
As for Valdez, he will still remain a part of the first show of 2019 on ESPN’s flagship network. His ring return is pushed back by three weeks, as he will land on the undercard of a February 2 show in Frisco, Texas. His bout will come in supporting capacity to the light heavyweight title fight rematch between Eleider Alvarez and Sergey Kovalev.
The show comes on Super Bowl weekend, which will leave Valdez (24-0, 19KOs) inactive for 46 weeks by the time he enters the ring for the 5th defense of his featherweight strap. The extended break largely stems from his recovering from a broken jaw suffered in a gutsy 12-round win over Scott Quigg this past March in Carson, California.
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Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Oscar Valdez vs. Andoni Gago - February 2, 2019
y bump the thread for the fight thats nit happening
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Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Oscar Valdez vs. Andoni Gago - OFF
Looks like Valdez is taking on a low level Italian contender who has little power.
Apparently they don't want to risk a puncher who might test Valdez' healed jaw and turn him gunshy.
Valdez promises that you'll see a more defensively adept fighter than the one who has engaged in war after war. He now has Eddy Reynosa (Canelo's head man) as his trainer.
But I don't know. Valdez looks like a guy who can't resist a slugfest. It's in his blood.
Apparently they don't want to risk a puncher who might test Valdez' healed jaw and turn him gunshy.
Valdez promises that you'll see a more defensively adept fighter than the one who has engaged in war after war. He now has Eddy Reynosa (Canelo's head man) as his trainer.
But I don't know. Valdez looks like a guy who can't resist a slugfest. It's in his blood.