Losses shatter a fighter’s heart, but Oscar Valdez believes in strong comebacks. He has done it twice now. The Mexican fighter scaled the heights of the boxing world when he bagged the gold at featherweight. He then went a step ahead and did it in the super featherweight division. But he soon fell to Shakur Stevenson, and it’s a loss that still itches.

Valdez, 33, crossed paths with Stevenson, 27, for the unified championship as the reward a couple of years ago in April 2022. He went through a grueling camp, devised a game plan, stuck to it inside the ring, and yet left the arena with his first professional loss. He dropped the fight with a unanimous decision and seemed to have no answer to his opponent’s skills and technical prowess. The Nogales native appeared dumbfounded at the development, and a brutal reality dawned on him.

Valdez, at 32-2, sat down in a conversation with Fight Hype, where he discussed his loss to Stevenson, at 22-0, and also talked about his coming fight. He admitted he was mentally and physically prepared for the fight with Stevenson. But the former featherweight champion failed to put on a show and showcase his aggressive nature. That’s when he realized doing his best was not always enough for a favorable result.

Oscar Valdez explained, “When I fought Shakur, I was 100% ready for that fight. Physically, mentally. I was all in that fight, and I didn’t do nothing. I didn’t do nothing to Shakur. One of the toughest things as a fighter is to accept the fact that you did your best and that wasn’t enough. It’s hard on your ego as a fighter.”

Valdez found himself against a better boxer, whom he couldn’t defeat despite putting his all in. However, the orthodox boxer had another loss to cope with. He succumbed to a loss to Emanuel Navarrete in August 2023 in a fight for Navarette’s WBO title. But this was different.

Oscar Valdez: contrasting tale of two losses

The 2009 World Championship medalist believed he was the better of the two against Navarette. But he lost his focus, fell off the game plan, and committed mistake after mistake. He continued, “It’s just that we lost the game plan, you know. I fell off, I lost focus, I made a rookie mistake, made several rookie mistakes, and that’s what’s going to be different from this one. Just be the smart fighter. That’s why it bothers me. This loss [bothers] more than the loss I had with Shakur Stevenson.”

But Valdez has an opportunity to avenge his loss with Emmanuel Navarrete, 29, as they will fight it out on December 7 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. Will he finally exhibit his strengths and sheer power-punching skills and clinch the title? It remains to be seen.

What do you make of these comments by Oscar Valdez about the Shakur Stevenson fight? Do you believe he will win his rematch with Emanuel Navarrete? Let us know in the comments below.