GLENDALE, Arizona (March 29, 2024) — Oscar Valdez (32-2, 24 KOs) wanted to show that he could become a champion again, and tonight he did it.

The former two-division world champion stopped Australian puncher Liam Wilson (13-3, 7 KOs) in the seventh round to capture the WBO Interim junior lightweight world title Friday evening at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

After trying to find his distance in the opening round, Valdez began controlling the action by launching a quick jab, blocking and slipping any counters and looking for left hooks.

Wilson had more success by keeping his distance, but Valdez was able to lure him into punching range. In the sixth round, both stood toe-to-toe, where Valdez connected with left hooks to the body and right hooks to the side of Wilson’s head.

By the following round, Valdez had worn Wilson out, who stopped responding to Valdez’ onslaught and forced referee Mark Nelson to halt the action at 2:48.

Valdez said, “This victory means a lot. I proved a lot of people wrong again. People said ‘You’re thirty-something. You’re done. You got your jaw broken. You got your rib broken.’ But I refused to believe that.

“I told him {Liam} to not give up. I lost as well. It doesn’t mean you’re done in the sport. I’m a good example. He almost got me. He almost got 'Vaquero.' He almost became a world champion. I have nothing but respect for Liam Wilson and his team.”

Wilson said, “That’s how boxing goes. I tried to box in the first few rounds, but my heart got the better of me. These are the kind of fights I dreamed of since I was a kid. But, I’ve got to learn from this and start using my boxing brain.

"Oscar is a true champion, and I’m very proud to have shared the ring with him. It’s still early in my career. I have plenty to go. I’m young. I’ll be back.”

Super Bad To The Bone

The super fight live up to the pre-fight trash talk, and after 10 rounds of sustained action, an undisputed minimumweight world champion was crowned.

Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada (26-0, 9 KOs) defeated longtime rival Yokasta Valle (30-3, 9 KOs) via unanimous decision to unify all the belts in the 105-pound division, a first in boxing history.

All judges scored the fight 97-93.

Both took the center of the ring in the opening round, but Estrada’s unorthodox style perplexed an aggressive Valle. A clash of heads in the first round caused a cut above Valle’s right eye, and Estrada had success by switching stances and punching from the outside.

An undeterred Valle stepped up the pace in round four, landing a right hook that appeared to stun Estrada. Valle continued landing in the fifth, and it was evident that she was stronger on the inside.

Estrada made adjustments and began fighting again from the outside, landing with precision and even taunting Valle at times. The Costa Rican rallied late in the final round, but it was not enough.Estrada said, "I feel better. I’m happy. It’s something I’ve been wanting for a long time, becoming undisputed. It finally happened, and I accomplished my dreams. I’m beyond overwhelmed and happy.

“I knew she would come in and be aggressive like she always is. That’s her style, and I knew I would take everything away from her that she does best.

“I’m very competitive, and I want to be the best. In this training camp, there were days where it was difficult for me to go to the gym. My body was hurting. My back was hurting. My hand was hurting. But I pushed through because that’s what champions do and because I want to be great."

Valle said, “I did feel {the headbutt that opened the cut} was intentional. I felt that she did that coming towards me in the first round, and I had to struggle through that for the last nine rounds.”

Junior Welterweight: Raymond "Danger" Muratalla (20-0, 16 KOs) cruised to a 10-round unanimous points victory against late-notice replacement Xolisani Ndongeni (31-5, 18 KOs). Muratalla boxed with tranquil confidence, pawing with jabs before unleashing one-twos and sneaky hooks to the body. Ndongeni proved to be very durable, but Muratalla's defense prevented him from making any significant impact. Scores: 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93.

Junior Welterweight: Mexican Olympian Lindolfo Delgado (20-0, 15 KOs) may be a slow starter, but he always gets the job done. The 29-year-old contender knocked out countryman Carlos Sanchez (25-3, 19 KOs) in the seventh round. Sanchez connected on Delgado early because Delgado's defensive parries made him open to counters. Nevertheless, Delgado dropped Sanchez with a counter right hand in the fifth and ended matters in the seventh with a right hook. Time of stoppage: 48.

Heavyweight: U.S. Olympic silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr. (9-0, 9 KOs) retained his 100 percent knockout ratio with a first-round TKO against Don Haynesworth (18-9-1, 16 KOs). After boxing for the first half of the round, Torrez found an opening and began unleashing a two-fisted barrage, forcing referee Raul Caiz Jr. to halt the action at 2:19.

Middleweight: Phoenix's hometown hero Sergio Rodriguez (11-0-1, 8 KOs) decisioned Sanny Duversonne (12-7-2, 9 KOs) across six-rounds of action. Rodriguez pressed forward and landed, but Duversonne responded immediately each time, which prevented Rodriguez from continuing his momentum. Scores: 60-54 and 59-55 2x.

Lightweight: Emiliano Fernando Vargas (9-0, 7 KOs) had his toughest fight to date as he tallied a hard-earned unanimous decision against Nelson Hampton (10-9, 6 KOs). Vargas had the offensive advantage with speed and power, but Hampton answered back with many counters as Vargas admired his work. Scores: 60-54 3x.

Lightweight: Alan "Kid Kansas" Garcia (12-0, 10 KOs), the unbeaten standout who signed with Top Rank earlier this month, stopped Gonzalo Fuenzalida (12-4, 3 KOs) via TKO in the second round. Time of stoppage: 1:58.

Junior Welterweight: Art Barrera Jr. (4-0, 4 KOs), the Robert Garcia-trained powerhouse from Linwood, California, blasted out Kevin Soto (5-2, 3 KOs) with a left hook in the second round. Time of stoppage: 2:17.

Junior Welterweight: Ricardo Ruvalcaba (12-0-1, 10 KOs) handed Avner Hernandez Molina (4-4) his first stoppage defeat with a fifth-round TKO. Time of stoppage: 1:44.

HENDERSON, Nevada (March 25, 2024) — Liam Wilson is eager to claim his spot among the top fighters in the junior lightweight division.

The Australian former world title challenger will take on former two-division world champion Oscar Valdez in a special 12-round attraction this Friday, March 29 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

In the co-feature, WBC/WBA/Ring Magazine champion Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada and WBO/IBF ruler Yokasta Valle will collide in a highly anticipated showdown for the undisputed minimumweight crown.

Valdez-Wilson & Estrada-Valle headline a stacked card streaming live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with No Limit Boxing, tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.com.

Wilson (13-2, 7 KOs) is a five-year pro who made his U.S. debut by nearly upsetting Emanuel Navarrete in a bid for the vacant WBO junior lightweight title at Desert Diamond Arena last February. The 28-year-old stunned Navarrete with a left hook before flooring him with a flurry of punches in the fourth. Wilson was eventually stopped in the ninth round, but he bounced back with victories over Carlos Alanis in August and Jackson Jon England in December. Valdez (31-2, 23 KOs), a two-time Mexican Olympian, returns following an August defeat against Navarrete at the same venue.

Following a recent training session in Henderson, Nevada, this is what Wilson had to say:

“I’ve had two fights since the Navarrete fight. I feel much more prepared this time around. I’m going back to the same place. I’m much more familiar with the whole atmosphere there. I’m really looking forward to March 29.”

“I think he’s going to want to prove himself in this fight. He wants to show that he still has what it takes to be a world champion. So, while I’m not sure what to expect, I know he is well rounded. You don’t become a two-division world champion by being one-dimensional.”

“It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen with him. In the past, he’s shown that he likes to go in there and brawl. But he’s also been boxing and moving more in his last couple fights. So, I’m not too sure what to expect from him, but I’m ready for anything.”

“He has been in a lot of wars. I have that tendency as well. If a fight gets rough, I get dragged into it. So, I’m ready for anything. I’m going to use my abilities. I’m going to stick to my game plan. But I’m also ready for a war.”