Canelo Alvarez has faced many wars throughout his 17 years as a professional boxer. This makes him an authoritative voice and a great mentor for those who can learn from him, such as Oscar Valdez, his stablemate, who will clash with Shakur Stevenson on April 30, in one of the most anticipated fights of 2022.
The MGM Grand Garden Arena will not miss the thousands of high-quality fights it has hosted when Valdez and Stevenson trade blows in its ring. These are two undefeated World Champions, at a great age to display their best boxing and, moreover, with a latent animosity that will make their fight even more heated.
Shakur Stevenson (17-0-0, 9 KOs) will put his WBO World Super featherweight title, which he won in 2021 against Jamel Herring, on the table. The Newark native is a two-division World Champion. Meanwhile, Oscar Valdez (30-0-0, 23 KOs)shares Stevenson’s 125 and 130-pound world titlist status. He took his current belt, WBC World Super featherweight, from Miguel Berchelt with a chilling knockout in 2021.
How to beat Shakur Stevenson? Canelo Alvarez’s lesson to Oscar Valdez
It is well known that the working group formed by Canelo Alvarez and Eddy Reynoso prioritize the good atmosphere and camaraderie. The Mexican superstar made this clear by revealing what advice he gave Oscar Valdez so he can come out on top in his tough fight against Shakur Stevenson on April 30 in Las Vegas.
“It’s gonna be a difficult fight for both fighters… So, I say, ‘Oscar, this fight is gonna be different. You need to keep focus and win the fight, not to put on a show for the people. Because (Shakur)a really good, skilled fighter, moves around. So, if you go forward, he’s gonna do his fight. You’re gonna (fight) his fight“, revealed Alvarez during one of the media day he usually has prior to his fights.
Almost all oddsmakers have Oscar Valdez below Shakur Stevenson, who is five years younger and has 13 fewer fights. However, Canelo Alvarez will be betting on an upset:“I’m surprised about that because Oscar can do many things in the ring. He always try to, ‘Oh, I’m gonna put on a show for the people and go forward and try to [go] in and out and take punches and throw punches…But Oscar have a lot of experience, have a really good training camp, so it’s gonna be a really good fight.“
Canelo Alvarez, during Valdez’s last fight. (Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)
