Overcoming Depression, Broken Jaw and Ribs, Emotional Oscar Valdez Aims to Be an Example for Everyone’s Road to Redemption

Finally, the chain is broken. Nearly two years ago, Oscar Valdez lost his super featherweight crown to Shakur Stevenson. Later, he sailed past a non-title fight. However, fellow Mexican Emanuel Navarrete proved himself to be a big stumbling block. He foiled Valdez’s next attempt to become a world champion. Losses in the ring aside, the Nogales, Mexico-born boxer had been through a sequence of personal battles. It included mental health issues and physical injuries. Probably that could be the reason why he gave into his emotions after scoring a statement win over Liam Wilson.

The thirty-year-old boxer received the WBO (vacant) interim super featherweight or junior lightweight title after knocking out the Australian opponent in the seventh round. The duo headlined the Top Rank event at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. During the post-fight in-ring interview, Oscar Valdez spilled the beans on what the fight meant to him. The victory falls in the same place where he suffered his second career loss last August. But unlike the current jubilation, thoughts of retirement reportedly crossed his mind at the time.

In fact, Oscar Valdez admitted that thoughts of giving up did cross his mind. However, he revealed that deep in his heart he wanted to be ‘an exception, an example, a remarkable story of comeback. He always felt a compelling need to stay. He said, “I want to be an example in boxing. You might lose in life you might lose but it’s an obligation to come back strong. If I found a canvas, I’m going to get up and continue my path of my dream; that means anybody can do it.”

The interviewer asked, “I’ve seen you with a broken jaw; I’ve seen you; I’ve seen you lose; where does this rank?” The Nogales-born boxer replied that the win remains at the top. After all, he proved many doubters wrong. They questioned his age and raised doubts over his fitness after he suffered injuries to his jaws and ribs. But despite all the challenges, he refused to give in all together. “It’s got to be up there, man, because that means a lot. I proved a lot of people wrong again. You know, people say, well you’re 30 something, you’re this, you’re done, you got your jaw broken, you got your rib broken, nuh, I refuse to believe that,” said Valdez.

Then later, after thanking God, he appreciated the support he received from his father, trainer Eddy Reynoso, and the rest of the team and staff. “I like to believe in God. Thank God for this opportunity. Thank my father, my trainer, Ed Reynoso…Derek my whole team, man, we did a great job, and we showed it.”

Oscar Valdez: Rising Above the Hardships

The fight was indeed a bit critical for Oscar Valdez. The second career defeat to Navarrete proved too much for him and his father. Notwithstanding the emotional burden of the loss, he suffered an eye injury as well. To many fans, it resonated with the brutal jaw injury he experienced during the 2018 title defense against tough Briton Scott Quigg. But it was the Shakur Stevenson fight that caused a major concern. Difficulty coping with the first defeat of his professional career took Oscar Valdez through depression.

However, as the boxer demonstrated and said, he wanted to prove everyone who had given up on him wrong. More so, he felt that he owed a lot to scores of fans who had put their faith in him. Valdez, per the available reports from the WBO, stands a good chance of becoming a full super featherweight champion, provided the current incumbent, Emanuel Navarrete, decides to hang around in the lightweight division.

Read More: “I Pray for You”: Oscar Valdez Breaks His Silence on Ryan Garcia’s Public Meltdown

Now that Valdez has become an interim champion, do you feel there should be a rematch with either Shakur Stevenson or Emanuel Navarrete?

Also Read: Canelo Alvarez Sends One-Line Message to Oscar Valdez While Congratulating Emanuel Navarrete