Oscar Collazo vs. Neider Valdez – Live results, round-by-round coverage
As you can see, only Oscar Collazo inhabits the graphic above. The question is: Where is the Filipino who was supposed to fight Ring Magazine’s no. 9 pound-for-pound fighter in the world?
Earlier this week, Collazo’s fight with Joey Canoy was scrapped, as the General Santos native ran into visa issues that could not be resolved. On his Facebook page, Canoy reaffirmed his belief in a divine plan for his career and urged his supporters to keep up their fighting spirit.
So, that’s exactly what we’ll do. While we wish Canoy the very best in his future bouts, we turn our attention to the new main event that will unfold inside California’s Frontwave Arena.
In this fight, the undefeated Collazo (14-0) will no longer defend his WBO, WBA, and Ring minimumweight titles. Instead, the Puerto Rican will go from the 105-pound category to the world of 112-pound sluggers as he competes for the vacant WBO International Flyweight championship.
Collazo’s new opponent is Neider Valdez Aguilar of Mexico. Valdez, who holds a 15-3-3 record, now has a shot to win championship gold and hang the first loss on Collazo?
Keep refreshing this page to get live updates and round-by-round coverage of the Collazo vs. Valdez main event.
Final Thoughts
After interviewing Collazo, Chris Mannix turned to De La Hoya, who continued to hype the new WBO International Flyweight champion.
According to De La Hoya, he wants to bring back the Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry of yesteryear by making Collazo vs. Sandoval happen. I say: Let’s get it done!
Cream rises to the top, and tonight, Collazo proved that the power in his punches transitions seamlessly from minimumweight to flyweight. This Puerto Rican packs a wallop, and it’s precisely his punching proficiency that sets him up for a bright future in this sport.
What would Joey Canoy have done against Collazo? I guess we’ll never know.
That’s a wrap for ALL-STAR’s live coverage of Collazo vs. Valdez. Next week, we’ll switch things up as we shift to the octagon. Happy Father’s Day!
What New Weight Class?
If this is how Collazo will look like in the flyweight division, the rest of the field better watch out.
By “rest of the field,” I mean Ricardo Sandoval, who holds the unified flyweight crown. Collazo vs. Sandoval should be a banger. “I really want it,” El Pupilo said in his post-fight interview.
Collazo vs. Valdez: Round 2
Collazo catches Valdez with a strong counter! Valdez goes down. Moments later, Valdez goes down again. Collazo’s punches are, in a word, loaded. El Pupilo is now looking to put on more pressure on Valdez. A body shot from Collazo knocks Valdez down for a third time. And now, the referee is waving it off. Collazo is your winner by TKO.
Collazo vs. Valdez: Round 1
Did I mention that Collazo was named after De La Hoya? Let’s see if he’ll be the best Oscar he can be in this main event that got turned topsy-turvy. This is a clash of styles as Valdez is an orthodox fighter while Collazo is a southpaw. Valdez with a right hand in the first minute of the fight. Can Collazo absorb the blows of this heavier weight class? Let’s see. Collazo trying to go for the body as the round winds down. So far, Valdez is outgunning Collazo in terms of volume. I’ll give it 10-9 to Valdez for Round 1.
Fighting Words From the Golden Boy
When Chris Mannix asked Oscar De La Hoya if Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn is close to happening, Golden Boy responded by saying that Zuffa is a big hindrance to this much-awaited bout coming to fruition.
“Everything that Zuffa touches is one big f**king problem,” De La Hoya said.
Those are fighting words, sir.
The Ringwalks Are Here
Play-by-play commentator Todd Grisham noted that this Valdez’s first time competing in the United States. Valdez, who fought to a draw against Gerardo Rodriguez Alvarado, has a huge grin on his face as he makes his way to the ring.
Meanwhile, Collazo looks calm and composed as well, greeting a fan who was waving Puerto Rico’s flag as he walked down the ramp.
If Canoy had made it to this fight, I guarantee that there would have been a number of Filipino fans booing “El Pupilo” during his ringwalk. That’s just how we roll.
This Collazo vs. Valdez Undercard Is Going By Fast
It’s like these guys are in a hurry or something.
Here are the results of the undercard at Frontwave Arena:
Vacant WBC Fecarbox Light Heavyweight Title
Yair Gallardo def. Buneet Bisla via unanimous decision
Super Lightweight
Ruslan Abdullaev def. Orestes Velazquez via TKO (Round 5)
Heavyweight
Joshua Edwards def. Garreth Payton via TKO (Round 2)
Welterweight
Cayden Griffiths def. Alan Crisosto via TKO (Round 3)
Collazo Has a Message for Another Filipino Fighter
At the official weigh-in, Collazo was asked about Pedro Taduran, who holds the IBF minimumweight crown. Would Collazo be interested in fighting Taduran, perhaps in a title unification bout?
“Yeah, but let’s see what happens,” Collazo said. “We do a lot of talking. I don’t really pay them no mind…He gotta wait his turn.”
The interviewer then speculated that Filipinos wouldn’t take too kindly to Collazo’s comments. Smiling, the Puerto Rican added, “We’re talking, tweeting crazy stuff, but I know in their heart, they love me.”
Duly noted, Señor Collazo.
