Most would agree that Miguel Berchelt vs. Oscar Valdez’s fight on Saturday night met expectations, with Valdez offering a kind of knockout of the year at Berchelt at the MGM Bubble in Las Vegas.
The day before the drama unfolded, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told Bad Left Hook that there would be tears in his eyes as he watched the long-awaited confrontation, because he knew that in three months or more, the pandemic would have increased enough to put the fight in an exhausted arena.
“So, did you cry a little while watching the fight last night?” I asked Arum during check-in on Sunday afternoon.
“No, I was so surprised by the action and so happy for Valdez,” Arum replied. “I remember as if it were yesterday, Oscar and his father came to see us and we talked about hiring him. And they decided to go with us and agreed that we could work with Oscar and help him get to the kind of place he is now. But he’s been with us since his first fight. “
This is Arum almost showing some feeling, because it has been a few years since Valdez of 30 years (29-0, 23 KO) started as a professional. He was part of the lot signed by Top Rank, which included Jose Ramirez, seen by some as the best professional on the American Olympic team of 2012. Some thought that Puerto Rican Olympian Félix Verdejo would be the best on the team hired by Arum’s firm.
Arum also told me that he had a feeling that Valdez, who is adjusting to coach Eddy Reynoso for a solid season, would win.
“I told Derrick Harmon, who works for me, if he had any extra money, to bet on the Oscar,” said Arum. They say that a good, big man beats a supposedly good little man, added Arum, but Valdez is not just good. His skills, his general in the ring, combined with an above average heart and character – Arum felt that these characteristics would lead him to victory.
Arum already has some ideas about what’s next for Valdez and is not ruling out the possibility of a rematch with Berchelt, but he may be keeping an eye on something he feels can be really big.
“In about a week, I will be contacting the Berchelt team,” he said. “But what I think is really great, the biggest fight after Tyson Fury against Anthony Joshua, is Valdez against Shakur Stevenson. Before (Berchelt-Valdez), I would have told you that Shakur is the favorite to win. But now, after that fight, I’m not saying that. I am not going against Valdez. “
And with the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel getting brighter, Arum is thinking of options far beyond the “bubble”. Valdez-Berchelt 2 could fill a building, in your mind. And he would not like to take it to Mexico, since the revenue is not as big as it would be in the United States.
Arum said that Valdez will receive a call from Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Obrador played at the base with Berchelt before Valdez scored his victory in the stoppage that defined his career, so he will equalize the score and congratulate the winner.
The promoter has also returned to thinking about what fights can be made at the Allegiant Stadium, so Valdez could be in the mix for a walk at the Las Vegas Raiders’ home.