Biography
- Twitter: @OscarValdez56
- Two-time Olympian - 2012 Olympic representative for Mexico, 123 pounds; 2008 Olympic representative for Mexico (amateur), 119 pounds…
- 2012 Americas Olympic Qualifier (amateur), 123 pounds - Gold Medalist…
- 2011 Pan American Games (amateur), 123 pounds - Silver Medalist…
- 2010 Pan American Championships (amateur), 125 pounds – Silver Medalist…
- 2010 Central American & Caribbean Games (amateur), 125 pounds – Gold Medalist
- 2009 World Championships (amateur), 125 pounds – Bronze Medalist…
- 2009 Aiba President´S Cup (amateur), 125 pounds – Gold Medalist…
- 2009 Pan American Championships (amateur), 125 pounds – Silver Medalist…
- 2008 World Youth Championships (amateur), 125 pounds – Gold Medalist
- 2007 Mexican National Championships (amateur), 119 pounds - Gold Medalist…
Oscar made his pro debut at the age of 21 in November, 2012. A sensational prospect at 126 pounds, he is former international amateur standout - considered one of the best amateurs in the history of Mexican boxing.
He is coming off a fourth-round TKO win against Carlos Gonzalez in his last fight on March 16.
After the fight, Dan Rafael wrote on ESPN.com [excerpts]: Valdez was a two-time Mexican Olympian, representing his country in 2008 and 2012. Now he's a blue-chip prospect who appears to have a very bright future. He is calm and poised for a young fighter and displays very sound technique and a tight defense, holding his hands nice and high. But he is also offensive-minded, as Gonzalez found out.
Valdez had his way with Gonzalez. In the first round, Valdez badly wobbled him with a left to the head late in the round. He was pummeling Gonzalez as the round ended. Valdez spent most of the second round teeing off on Gonzalez, who showed an excellent chin and a big heart. But he was outclassed as he ate uppercut after uppercut.
Gonzalez had taken a lot of punishment by the fourth round, and when Valdez rocked him with a left hook and then landed nearly another dozen unanswered shots, [the] referee stepped in to call off the bout at 48 seconds. Tuck away the name of Oscar Valdez in the back of your mind; he could become somebody we'll be talking a lot more about in a couple of years. [End Rafael item]
Oscar is the first Mexican fighter to qualify for two different Olympic Games - at the age of 17 he competed in 2008 in Beijing, and he competed again in London in 2012. He is also the first Mexican to win a medal at the World Championships - the bronze in 2009. He was the flag bearer at the Central American Games in 2010, where he won a gold medal.
Historic highlights: Oscar was the first Mexican to win the World Youth Championships (2008), and bronze medal in the 2009 World Championships; he won the gold medal at the 2010 Central American Games and the silver medal at the 2011 Pan American Games. Valdez came out of nowhere to upset 2007 Pan American champion Carlos Cuadras at the semifinal of the 2007 National Championships and then won the bantamweight championship in his next bout.
Dan Rafael wrote on ESPN.com [excerpts]: Two-time Mexican Olympian Oscar Valdez, the most sought-after member of the 2012 Mexican national team, has signed a promotional contract with promoter Top Rank.
Valdez, who also fought in the 2008 Olympics, boxed as a bantamweight in the London Games and won his first two bouts to advance to the quarterfinals before being eliminated by eventual silver medalist John Joe Nevin of Ireland. That loss came despite forcing the referee to give Nevin an eight-count after he landed a body shot in the final round.
"I am looking forward to Top Rank directing the next stage of my boxing career," said Valdez, who is bilingual. "I worked very hard to qualify for the Olympics and I will train twice as hard fighting as a professional."
Top Rank has excelled in promoting some of the top Mexican and Mexican-American stars of the past 20-plus years, including Oscar De La Hoya, Erik Morales, Jorge Arce, Antonio Margarito and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Manager Frank Espinoza said, "Oscar is really happy and excited to be working along with Top Rank. They've shown great judgment in the past. I'm looking forward to seeing him develop into something special. Boxing needs stars and I'm positive that he will develop into one.
"He's a boxer-puncher with a tremendous body attack. When I look at a fighter I look at certain characteristics, like he that has great ring generalship and intelligence. But he also has personality and charisma, and you need all of that to make a star. He has that star potential and a pro style of fighting."
Said Top Rank president Todd duBoef, "I think he could be one of the most popular fighters in Mexico. The people know him because he's a very heralded Olympian. If you followed him in the 2012 Olympics, he lost the match but dropped the guy with a body shot. He has that pro style embedded in him."
Top Rank has a tremendous track record when it comes signing and developing prospects out of the Olympics, including three fighters who became superstars: De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto.
Other Olympians who signed with Top Rank out of the Olympics who went on to great pro success include two-division champion and pound-for-pound list stalwart Ivan "Iron Boy" Calderon and two-division titleholder Juan Manuel Lopez, both of Puerto Rico. [End Rafael item]
