Junior lightweight contender Liam ‘Mr Damage’ Wilson (13-2, 7KOs) is looking forward to kicking off the year with a bang when he faces former two-weight titleholder Oscar Valdez (31-2, 23KOs) at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona on March 29. The lightly-raced Australian had a year of mixed fortunes in 2023. In February he […]
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Junior lightweight contender Liam ‘Mr Damage’ Wilson (13-2, 7KOs) is looking forward to kicking off the year with a bang when he faces former two-weight titleholder Oscar Valdez (31-2, 23KOs) at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona on March 29.
The lightly-raced Australian had a year of mixed fortunes in 2023. In February he stepped in at late notice to face WBO 130-pound titleholder Emanuel ‘Vaquero’ Navarrete (38-1-1, 31KOs) and came within a whisker of lifting the belt after having the experienced Mexican down and almost out in the fourth round, only to be stopped himself in the ninth stanza.
After six months off Wilson rebounded with a pair of 10-round points wins over Carlos Alanis (12-1, 4KOs) and Jackson England (15-3, 8KOs) in the last four months of the year.
Mexico’s Valdez, 33, shares a common opponent with Wilson in Navarrete. Last August, Valdez (rated at No. 7 by The Ring at junior lightweight) lost a wide unanimous decision to his 29-year-old countryman, going down by scores of 109-119, 110-118 and 112-116.
The fight between Valdez and Wilson isn’t exactly a loser-leaves-town bout, but it’s close. The winner will put himself in line for another title shot. The loser will take a number and move to the back of the queue.
“It’s going to be exciting,” the 27-year-old Wilson told The Ring this week. “We’re both fighters who like to come forward and love to fight. We both bring a high intensity and with him being a Mexican warrior, it’s going to be a war from the opening bell.
“With my performance against Navarrete and his performance against Navarrete, I couldn’t help but compare the performances against each other. I understand that styles make fights, but I feel like I gave Navarrete more resistance than he did, so I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be an all-action barnburner from start to finish.”
Both Valdez and Wilson have proven themselves to be capable boxers and it wouldn’t surprise if the bout began as a tactical battle between the pair. Wilson admits as much but says that once the heavy leather starts to land, the sparks will really start to fly. That could happen sooner rather than later.
“The game plan is to stick to my boxing but I think it might end up in an all-out war in the sense that you’ve got two fighters who want to prove themselves, who are both coming off defeats against Navarrete [in the past year],” Wilson said.
“We will both be out to redeem ourselves and show the world we’re both still at the top level and capable of fighting for world titles.”
The fight will be at the same venue as Wilson’s loss to Navarrete, but he insists he is not superstitious about returning to the scene of the crime.
“I’m excited to be going back there. It has to be done. I actually wanted the fight to be back there so that I could rewrite my own history there,” he said.
“I did have a bit of a bad experience in how the Navarrete fight was dealt with there. That’s nothing to do with the location though, I think it’s just an experience that I went through. Ultimately it’s left me in one frame of mind, it’s given me one option, and that’s to come to Arizona to the Desert Diamond Arena and to knock out Oscar Valdez. I wouldn’t feel comfortable with the fight going to a decision. I want to take it out of the judges’ hands, whether that be a dominant performance or a knockout, that’s what I’m looking for.”
In his last outing against the capable England in December, Wilson was tested early before taking control of the bout in the middle rounds and coming home with a wet sail. After the victory he called out former Ring lightweight champion George ‘Ferocious’ Kambosos Jr (21-2, 10KOs), who is now expected to face Vasiliy Lomachenko (17-3, 11KOs) in Perth, Western Australia in May.
Wilson clarified that a move up in weight will only happen for the right fight.
“The weight for me is no problem at all,” he said of making 130 pounds. “As an amateur, I was fighting at welterweight. Somehow, over all those years I’ve gone down to super featherweight. But look, I’d be happy to move up to lightweight tomorrow for the right opportunity, otherwise I’ll campaign here.
“But you know, it’s definitely in mind. At some stage in my career I’ll definitely be there in that weight division. We’ll see what fight arrives, but I’ll definitely end up there.
“I teased the fight with me and George Kambosos. I do want that fight and I would be happy to move up to face him. But other than that, I’m happy to campaign where I am.”
Wilson has shown a propensity to fight down to his level of opposition since turning pro almost six years ago. That’s why he believes Valdez, who previously held the WBO belt at featherweight and WBC title at junior lightweight, is the perfect matchup for him at this stage of his career.
“I think he’s still a very game opponent and a tough contender,” Wilson said. “He’s a two-time world champion and Olympian for a reason. He’s been in there with the best of the best. But I do think it’s my time to show the world that I’m still the guy they saw against Navarrete, a dangerous super featherweight.”
As for a rematch with Navarrete, Wilson says he would take in in a heartbeat.
“Mate, I’d love that,” he said. “I feel like it should’ve already been on the cards. We had a very tough, close fight. Some would say I probably should already be world champion, but things played out the way they did.
“If he’s not giving me the rematch, I’ll fight my way into a mandatory position. I feel like I’m on my way to doing that, but it also depends what Navarrete’s plans are as well. But let it be known that I am coming for him.”
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