Fistfuls of chess

By James Blears

 

Who will have the moves, culminating in checkmate, when WBC super featherweight champion Oscar Valdez fights WBO super featherweight champion Shakur Stevenson, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday April 30?

It`s a calculated risk for precocious twenty four year old wunderkind Shakur, who won the WBO featherweight title, prior to the super featherweight crown, now going for Green and Gold. His record is 17-0, 9KO`s.  While thirty one year old Oscar`s who`s also a former WBO featherweight champion and now WBC super featherweight monarch, is much more experienced, peppery plus seasoned with 30-0, 23 KO`s.

An Olympic Silver medalist, southpaw Shakur, who was named after rapper Tupac Shakur, has God given skills, which are reminiscent in some ways, of Pernell Whitaker`s brilliance.  The greatest of em all Sugar Ray Robinson said: “Every move you make, starts with your heart, and that`s in rhythm… or you`re in trouble.”

Some successful people are movers and shakers. This young man is a mover, yet seldom shaken. He`s hard to hit and even harder to hit cleanly or solidly. Quicksilver mercury. Poised is one description, and elegantly elusive is another. Deft anticipation, trigger like reflexes, superb footwork and an aversion to being hit. A defensive wizard, he never foolishly rushes in, where angels fear to tread.

Shakur who appears younger than his years, with a youthful ready smile, outside ring hours, has a boxing IQ of maturity within its squared perimeters.  He places punches and times them with lightning precision, rather than unleashing them, relying on rolling thunderbolts. He`s a craftsman, rather than a KO artist.  But in this fight it`s not all him. Make no mistake about it, Oscar possesses the power, the boxing smarts and resolve to upend all of that.

Oscar calls this fight a chess game, predicting that the smarter fighter with the greater IQ wins. Part of Oscar`s philosophy as well as strategy comes down to: “Don`t let anyone tell you, you can`t do anything. Prove them wrong!”

Not so long ago, when they were on a photo shoot alongside the Grand Old Man of Top Rank Bob Arum, with a camera crew fussing around and about them. Shakur was smiling and affable. Not so Oscar.  No grin, just grim and all business. Formal, correct and icy.

In the fight before this, Shakur proved that he`s more than a cutie. He hammered Jamel Herring cutting his right eye and then pouring it on in round ten, convincing Referee Mark Nelson to stop it at 1.30 as bunches of punches were landing laser fashion, without reply.

A lot better than the fight against Jeremiah Nakathila, which was technically a shutout, but a yawnfest and a stalemate, as a spectacle.

Shakur, who audaciously says that he already belongs in the top five pound for pound, feels he`s ready to test himself against the best…and triumph.  He surmises that now is the time, because Oscar`s previous fight against Robson Conceicao, wasn`t his finest by a long chalk. The taller Brazilian, who defeated Oscar in the amateurs, and won Olympic Gold, posed and provided problems in the first half of their recent fight, landing long jabs and quick combinations.

Showing his steel and mettle as a champion, Oscar dug deep and landed the more powerful punches in the second half and down the straight, to win a UD.

Oscar was tested even more exactingly and excruciatingly in the fight with England`s Scott Quigg, when he suffered a broken jaw in the fifth, but fought on to win a UD in a thrilling slugfest.

His best performance was in winning the WBC super featherweight Green and Gold Belt against a much larger Miguel “Alacran” Berchelt. Likely that Miguel had not fully recovered from covid 19, but in this fight, Oscar outsmarted him before overpowering and flattening him, with a shuddering good night left hook in the tenth, which rendered Miguel unconscious. With a little more time, it could have all ended earlier, in the fourth.

Shakur is unlike any rival Oscar has faced before. Shakur is more comfortable boxing on the back foot, but is adept at adapting to, exploring and exploiting the style of his opponent. Oscar must use accuracy and electricity to land power punches, and with regularity.

Oscar is dissimilar to any opponent Shakur has ever fought. The power of Oscar`s punches and the lambast intent with which he throws them, will make the younger man pay attention, rather than sit up. He`s no slouch.

Shakur most take care not to be trapped on the ropes or caught at short range, especially by Oscar`s vaunted left hook. Oscar must remain focused and patient, not succumbing to impatience or frustration. He`d do better to avoid chasing nimble Shakur around and try to command the ebb and flow of the action. Poetry in motion.

Oscar is just shy of five feet six inches tall with a sixty six inch reach. While Shakur is five feet eight with a sixty eight inch reach. This fight will extend and depend on angles and precision but also  power and pop.

In chess, a Rook can move forwards, backwards or sideways, but not diagonally. Whoever wins this one must have the facility to do it all.

 

WBC STATS 

WBC SUPERFEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE

 MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA 

APRIL 30, 2022

 TV: PANAMA RPC CHANNEL 4 / ESP / ESPN +    

THIS WILL BE THE WBC’S 2, 137 CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE   FIGHT   IN   THE   FIFTY-NINE YEAR HISTORY OF THE WBC

TOP RANK PRESENT:

 

OSCAR VALDEZ

(MEXICO)

WBC CHAMPION

NATIONALITY:         MEXICO

DATE OF BIRTH: DECEMBER 22, 1990

BIRTH PLACE:          NOGALES, SONORA

RESIDENCE:               WEST COVINA, CA

AGE:                               31

RECORD:                      30-0-0, 23 KO’S

KO%:                              76.7 %

GUARD:                         ORTHODOX

TOTAL ROUNDS:     180

WORLD TITLES FIGHTS: 9 (9-0-0)

TRAINER:                    EDDY REYNOSO

MANAGER:                 FRANK ESPINOZA

PROMOTER:               TOP RANK

 

SHAKUR STEVENSON

(US)

WBO CHAMPION

NATIONALITY:         USA

DATE OF BIRTH: JUNE 28, 1997

BIRTH PLACE:          SALVADOR, BAHIA

RESIDENCE:               SALVADOR, BAHIA

AGE:                               24

RECORD:                      17-0-0, 9 KO’S

KO%:                              52.9 %

GUARD:                         SOUTHPAW

TOTAL ROUNDS:     103

WORLD TITLES FIGHTS: 3 (3-0-0)

TRAINER:                    WILLIE MOSES

MANAGER:                 JENSEN SOTO

PROMOTER:               TOP RANK

 

WBC´S SUPERFEATHERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS

 

NAME                                         PERIODO CHAMPION

 

1. GABRIEL ELORDE (PHIL) 1963 – 1967
2. YOSHIAKI NUMATA (JAP) 1967
3. HIROSHI KOBAYASHI (JAPAN) 1967 – 1968
4. RENE BARRIENTOS (PHIL) 1969 – 1970
5. YOSHIAKI NUMATA (JAPAN) * 1970 – 1971
6. RICARDO ARREDONDO (MEX) 1971 – 1974
7. KUNIAKI SHIBATA (JAP) 1974 – 1975
8. ALFREDO ESCALERA (P. RICO) 1975 – 1978
9. ALEXIS ARGUELLO (NIC) 1978 – 1980
10. RAFAEL LIMON (MEX) 1980 – 1981
11. CORNELIUS BOZA-EDWARDS (UGA) 1981
12. ROLANDO NAVARRETE (PHIL) 1981 – 1982
13. RAFAEL LIMON (MEX) * 1982
14. BOBBY CHACON (US) 1982 – 1983
15. HECTOR CAMACHO (P. RICO) 1983
16. JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ (MEX) 1984 – 1987
17. AZUMAH NELSON (GHANA) 1988 – 1994
18. JAMES LEIJA (US) 1994
19. GABRIEL RUELAS (MEX) 1994 – 1995
20. AZUMAH NELSON (GHANA) * 1995 – 1997
21. GENARO HERNANDEZ (US) 1997 – 1998
22. FLOYD MAYWEATHER (US) 1998 – 2001
23. SIRIMONGKOL SINGMANASSUK (THAILAND) 2002 – 2003
24. JESUS CHAVEZ (MEXICO) 2003 – 2004
25. ERIK MORALES (MEXICO) 2004
26. MARCO ANTONIO BARRERA (MEXICO) 2004 – 2007
27. JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ (MEXICO) 2007 – 2008
28. MANNY PACQUIAO (PHILIPPINES) 2008
29. HUMBERTO SOTO (MEXICO) 2008 – 2009
30. HUMBERTO MAURO GUTIERREZ (MEXICO) INTERIM 2009
31. VITALY TAJBERT (GERMANY) 2009 – 2010
32. TAKAHIRO AOH (JAPAN) 2010 – 2012
33. GAMALIEL DIAZ (MEXICO) 2012 – 2013
34. TAKASHI MIURA (JAPAN) 2013 – 2015
35. FRANCISCO VARGAS (MEXICO) 2015 – 2017
36. MIGUEL BERCHELT (MEXICO) 2017 – 2021
37. OSCAR VALDEZ (MEXICO) 2021 –

* REGAINED

 

WBC´S SUPERFEATHERWEIGHT TOP TEN CHAMPIONS

 

1. JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ (MEXICO)

 

2. FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. (US)

 

3. ALEXIS ARGUELLO (NICARAGUA)

 

4. HECTOR CAMACHO (P. RICO)

 

5. AZUMAH NELSON (GHANA)

 

6. GABRIEL ELORDE (PHIL)

 

7. ERIK MORALES (MEXICO)

 

8. MARCO ANTONIO BARRERA (MEXICO)

 

9. RICARDO ARREDONDO (MEXICO)

 

10. JAMES LEIJA (US)

 

GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE SUPERFEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION IN THE HISTORY OF THE WBC

 

33 WORLD CHAMPIONS RECOGNIZED BY THE WBC

OF WHICH 3 HAS REGAINED THEIR TITLE:

 

YOSHIAKI NUMATA (JAPAN)

RAFAEL LIMON (MEXICO)

AZUMAH NELSON (GHANA)

 

136 WORLD TITLE BOUTS HAVE BEEN HELD IN SUPERFEATHERWEIGHT IN THE HISTORY OF THE WBC IN 15 COUNTRIES

 

THIS WILL BE THE 68th TITLE FIGHT SUPERFEATHERWEIGHT IN UNITED STATES IN THE HISTORY OF THE WBC

 

WORLD SUPERFEATHERWEIGHT TITLE BOUTS BY COUNTRY IN WBC HISTORY

 

 

US                                   67

JAPAN                            28

MEXICO                        11

PUERTO RICO              9

PHILIPPINES                 7

ITALY                            2

GERMANY                     2

FRANCE                         2

AUSTRALIA                  2

VENEZUELA                 1

NORWAY                       1

MONACO                       1

GHANA                          1

ENGLAND                      1

COSTA RICA                 1

TOTAL FIGHTS   136

 

 

 

 

WBC TITLE BOUTS HELD IN THE

NEVADA STATE

 

343 BOUTS HAVE BEEN HELD IN THE NEVADA STATE IN THE ENTIRE WBC HISTORY

 

THIS WILL BE THE 36th. WBC SUPERFEATHERWEIGHT TITLE BOUT CELEBRATED IN THE NEVADA STATE IN ALL WBC HISTORY.

  

44 WBC TITLE BOUTS IN THE HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION, THE HIGHEST OF ALL WBC HISTORY.

BREAKDOWN BY DIVISION:

 

HEAVY                                44

WELTER                             39*

SUPERLIGHT                    35

SUPERFEATHER             35

LIGHT                                  34

MIDDLE                              30

SUPERWELTER              31*

FEATHER                           18

SUPERBANTAM              18

HEAVY                                13*

FLY                                       10

BANTAM                              9

CRUISER                             8

STRAW                                8

SUPERMIDDLE               6*

FLY                                       3

SUPERFLY                        2

TOTAL BOUTS       343

                                      

* IN THIS DIVISIONS IT WERE ON THE LINE 2 TITLES AT THE SAME BOUT

 

 WBC GREATEST FIGHTS IN SUPERFEATHERWEIGHT

 

15/06/1967                  YOSHIAKI NUMATA – GABRIEL ELORDE                                      DEC 15           TOKYO

06/10/1971                  RICARDO ARREDONDO – YOSHIAKI NUMATA                            DEC 15           SENDAI

01/03/1974                  KUNIAKI SHIBATA – RICARDO ARREDONDO                               DEC 15           TOKYO

04/07/1975                  ALFREDO ESCALERA – KUNIAKI SHIBATA                                  KO 2                MITA

28/01/1978                  ALEXIS ARGUELLO – ALFREDO ESCALERA                                 TKO 13           BAYAMON

08/07/1979                  ALEXIS ARGUELLO – RAFAEL LIMON                                            TKO 11           NEW YORK

16/11/1979                  ALEXIS ARGUELLO – BOBBY CHACON                                          TKO 8             LOS ANGELES

30/05/1981                  CORNELIUS BOZA EDWARDS – BOBBY CHACON                       TKO 14           LAS VEGAS

11/12/1982                  BOBBY CHACON – RAFAEL LIMON                                                  DEC 15           SACRAMENTO

07/08/1983                  HECTOR CAMACHO – RAFAEL LIMON                                           TKO 5             SAN JUAN

13/09/1984                  JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ – MARIO MARTINEZ                                TKO 8             LOS ANGELES

12/12/1986                  JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ – JUAN LAPORTE                                      DEC 12           NEW YORK

25/02/1989                  AZUMAH NELSON – MARIO MARTINEZ                                         TKO 12           LAS VEGAS

01/03/1991                  AZUMAH NELSON – JEFF FENECH                                                   TKO 8             MELBOURNE

20/02/1993                  AZUMAH NELSON – GABRIEL RUELAS                                          DEC 12           MEXICO CITY

17/09/1994                  GABRIEL RUELAS – JAMES LEIJA                                                    DEC 12           LAS VEGAS

28/01/1995                  GABRIEL RUELAS – FRED LIBERATORE                                        TKO 2             LAS VEGAS

22/03/1997                  GENARO HERNANDEZ – AZUMAH NELSON                                  DEC 12           CORPUS CHRISTI

03/10/1998                  FLOYD MAYWEATHER – GENARO HERNANDEZ                        TKO 8             LAS VEGAS

20/01/2001                  FLOYD MAYWEATHER – DIEGO CORRALES                                TKO 10           LAS VEGAS

28/02/2004                  ERIK MORALES – JESUS CHAVEZ                                                    DEC 12           LAS VEGAS

27/11/2004                  MARCO ANTONIO BARRERA – ERIK MORALES                          DEC 12           LAS VEGAS

02/07/2006                  MANNY PACQUIAO – OSCAR LARIOS                                             DEC 12           MANILA

17/03/2007                  JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ – MARCO ANTONIO BARRERA      DEC 12           LAS VEGAS

15/03/2008                  MANNY PACQUIAO – JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ                        DEC 12           LAS VEGAS

11/05/2019                  MIGUEL BERCHELT – FRANCISCO VARGAS                                TKO 6             TUCSON

20/02/2021                  OSCAR VALDEZ – MIGUEL BERCHELT                                          KO 10              LAS VEGAS