Emanuel Navarrete and Oscar Valdez are once again in each other’s crosshairs.
A title consolidation fight was ordered by the WBO late Wednesday evening. Both sides will have 20 days to reach terms, or it will head to a purse bid hearing.
Per a prior ruling, Navarrete is required to defend his title versus Valdez by no later than Sept. 15, 120 days from his most recent bout. Navarrete (38-2-1, 31 knockouts), No. 1 at 130, holds the WBO 130 title. Valdez (32-2, 24 KOs), No. 3 at 130, won the interim version of that title earlier this year.
Both fighters are promoted by Top Rank.
Such a bout will represent a rematch to their entertaining clash last August 12 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The all-Mexico battle saw Navarrete win via unanimous decision to retain his WBO junior lightweight title.
It also marked the last time Navarrete’s arm was raised in victory. The three-division titlist from San Juan Zitlaltepec, Mexico drew with Robson Conceicao (18-2-1, 9 KOs) last Nov. 16 in Las Vegas.
Navarrete then moved up to lightweight, in an unsuccessful bid to claim the vacant WBO title at that weight. Denis Berinchyk (19-0, 9 KOs), No. 5 at 135, outpointed the 27-year-old via split decision on May 18 in San Diego.
The loss ended a 34-fight unbeaten streak for Navarrete dating back to the end of his first year as a pro in 2012. It also left him in a position where he had to next honor his mandatory title defense.
Navarrete enforced his WBO ‘Super Champion’ status to jump the line and challenge for the lightweight title. Per that ruling, he was required to commit either to 130 or 135 by his next fight. The decision to remain at 130 left him on the hook to run it back with Valdez by no later than Sept. 15.
Valdez earned his way back into the top spot with a seventh-round knockout of Australia’s Liam Wilson (13-3, 7 KOs). Their March 27 bout came with the interim WBO 130 title at stake per an 11th-hour approval.
The ESPN+ aired bout from Desert Diamond Arena saw Valdez deliver his best performance in more than three years. Valdez rose to the top of the 130-pound division after a Feb. 2021 highlight-reel knockout of Miguel Berchelt to win the WBC title.
Just one successful defense followed before he lost the belt to Shakur Stevenson in their April 2022 unification bout. Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs), No. 4 at 135, won via unanimous decision to win The Ring championship and unify the WBC and WBO belts.
Valdez struggled to regain his title fight form after the Stevenson defeat. The former two-division titlist was out for 13 months before he outpointed Adam Lopez (17-6, 6 KOs) in their rematch last May 20 in Las Vegas. He then lost to Navarrete and sat out the rest of the year, allowing various wounds—and his pride—to heal.
The win over Wilson breathed new life into Valdez’s career.
Fittingly, it came in a matchup of fighters who fell short to Navarrete in 2023—all at Desert Diamond Arena. Wilson replaced Valdez in a title challenge last Feb. 3. Navarrete was floored for the first time in his career but rallied back to earn a ninth-round knockout to retain the vacant WBO 130 title.
A decision by Navarrete to fight anyone other than Valdez will result in the end of his current title reign. Valdez would then elevate to full from interim title status.
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