Professional fights between Mexicans have historically been wars inside the ring, that’s why Emmanuel Navarrete (37-1, 31 KOs) knows he has a lot of work to do for his upcoming fight against fellow Mexican, Oscar Valdez (31-1, 23 KOs).
Both fighters recognize the position they are in with this upcoming fight. They could be on track to create another memorable Mexican rivalry.
In an exclusive interview with ProBox TV, Navarrete opened up about his recent training for the upcoming bout, “I’ve been here in Tijuana for a while, I’ve been training here for about a month and a half.”
He also explained why he does not train at higher altitudes, like many other boxers, “I’m not of the same mindset as the ones up in the mountains, I’ve been going to plenty of camps in Tijuana, and all of them have been great for me. I’ve felt great, and I’ve come out better. It helps that Tijuana is kind of my comfort zone, for my family too. All that helps me stay focused on the preparations, and on the fight.”
When asked about what he was expecting when the fight first got made, Navarrete explained, “The first thing I thought was that he was gonna be a really strong fighter, it could be a really strong rivalry too. We all know Oscar has always been very professional, he always gets to his fights having done a lot of conditioning, lots of cardio. It’s gonna be a good challenge.”
The Mexican fighter is expecting a lot of eyes to be on the fight, and knows that this could be the start of another classic showdown between two strong warriors. Whether or not we will see a rivalry between these fighters remains to be seen, “We have to see how the fight goes, then we can see if there will be a trilogy, or at least a decent rematch. It depends on a lot of things, it depends on if we can really create a good Mexican rivalry with this fight.”
Navarrete expects this fight to be one of his greatest obstacles, “This fight definitely will be one of the most important in my career so far, just based on what it represents.
“I think that the rivalry that’s brewing between two Mexicans, and in the past some of the most memorable fights were between two Mexicans, those rivalries have always been really impressive. So, the precedent has been set high, so we really have to deliver a high level boxing match, we need to give a good performance. I think the bar is really high, so I need to push myself past 100%.”
Team Navarrete have been hard at work in Tijuana, going from one camp to another in preparation for the fight.
“My team and I have talked a lot. We’ve been coming up with a little strategy. Obviously, we’ve discussed what Valdez does, and what he’s capable of. I know this matchup could be pretty dangerous because of my style. Mine is one that’s a bit more open, I use my reach often. So, we’re working on that, we’re working on understanding Valdez’s style as well.
“I’ll definitely have to work on my style, and it’s something I’ve been working really hard on. If he starts taking rounds, I’ll have to use everything in my arsenal. That’s how it’s gotta be on my part, the most important thing for me is coming out victorious. That’s what it is in the end, boxing is a competition, he’s gonna do what he needs to do to win, and I’m gonna do the same.”
At super featherweight, Navarrete fought Liam Wilson to win the WBO super featherweight title. That night he became a three-division champion, a feat only a few other legendary Mexican boxers have accomplished, but at 130 lbs, he didn’t feel like he was performing at the top of his game.
“To tell the truth, I fought Wilson at 130, and I felt a little bit slow, a little clumsy, and I felt a bit tied up.That’s what we’ve been focused on now, I’m working on speed, to counter that sluggish feeling I had before. This month and a half I think I’ve improved on that immensely. So I won’t be feeling the same way I did when I fought at 130.”
Navarrete and Valdez will be battling it out in the toughest fight of each of their careers on August 12, at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
