Rising Mexican Contender Neider Valdez Steps In To Face Pound-For-Pound Puerto Rican Champion Oscar “El Pupilo” Collazo In WBA, WBO and Ring Magazine Minimumweight World Championship Fight!
(June 18th) Rising Mexican contender Neider Valdez (15-3-3, 12 KOs) of Monterrey, Nuevo León, has answered the call to challenge undefeated WBA, WBO, and Ring Magazine Minimumweight World
Champion Oscar “El Pupilo”
Collazo (14-0, 11 KOs) of Villalba, Puerto Rico. Valdez
steps in as a late replacement for the previously announced Joey Canoy, who was forced to withdraw from the bout due to visa-related issues. The 12-round world championship bout will
stream live worldwide on
DAZN on Saturday, June 20, and is presented by Golden Boy
Promotions in association with Miguel Cotto Promotions from Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, Calif.
"My job is to stay ready for whoever my team puts in the ring,” said Oscar Collazo. “While the Canoy fight didn't happen, my focus has shifted entirely to Neider Valdez this Saturday. Trust me, we’re
about to add another unforgettable chapter to the historic Puerto Rico vs. Mexico rivalry."
“First and foremost, I would like to thank God, Golden Boy, Cotto Promotions, and my team for this incredible opportunity. When I received the phone call, I couldn’t believe it, but without
hesitation, I accepted the challenge,” said Neider
Valdez. “I stay in the gym and work hard every day, always
waiting for an opportunity like this. I know who Oscar Collazo is—he is the best fighter in his division today, and I have looked up to him for a long time. It is a great honor to share the ring with
him on such a big stage. I am ready to deliver the performance of my life and take full advantage of this incredible opportunity.”
Neider Valdez is a rising contender from Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, with a professional record of 15-3-3 and
12 knockouts. A proven competitor, he has built his career by facing difficult opposition and making the most out of every opportunity. His aggressive approach and punching power have helped him
steadily climb the ranks, recently fighting to a majority draw in a six-round bout in Mexico. Despite falling short in a hard-fought 2024 WBA light flyweight world title bout, he now looks to further
establish himself as a threat in the minimumweight division.
In the co-main
event, hard-hitting Chihuahua, Mexico
native Yair “Manotas”
Gallardo (11-0, 9 KOs) will look to continue his knockout
streak when he takes on Surrey, Canada’s Buneet
Bisla (14-1, 7 KOs) in a 10-round light heavyweight clash.
Gallardo is coming off an impressive stoppage victory over Elio Heraldo Trosch in Puerto Rico and now faces a durable Bisla, whose lone professional defeat came more than three years ago.
Also featured on the DAZN broadcast, undefeated Uzbek Olympian Ruslan Abdullaev (4-0, 2
KOs) will take on Las Vegas’ Orestes
Velazquez (8-1, 7 KOs) in a 10-round super lightweight
showdown. U.S. Olympian Joshua “The Rocket”
Edwards (6-0, 5 KOs) of Houston, Texas, will return to
action in an eight-round heavyweight contest against New Orleans’ Garreth “Da Lion” Payton (7-2, 4 KOs). Kicking off the DAZN telecast, Coachella fan favorite Cayden Griffiths (8-0, 7 KOs) will square off against Guadalajara, Mexico’s Alan Crisosto (12-6, 8 KOs) in an eight-round super welterweight bout.
In preliminary action, Denver’s Daniel “Junebug”
Garcia (13-0, 10 KOs) will put his undefeated record on
the line against Miami’s Christopher
Rodriguez (13-2-1, 11 KOs). Opening the evening, fellow
Denver native Lorenzo Garcia
will make his professional debut against Columbus, Ohio’s
Tylan Smith (1-0-1) in a four-round super lightweight contest.
Tickets for Collazo vs Valdez are on-sale and are priced at $100, $75, $50 and $30 plus applicable fees. A limited amount of Golden Boy VIP Experience seats will also be available for purchase with exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades included. Standard and VIP tickets can be purchased at AXS.com or just (click here).
Collazo vs Valdez is a 12-round fight for the WBA, WBO and Ring Magazine World Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Miguel Cotto Promotions. The event will be available worldwide to all subscribers on DAZN, both live and on demand.
ABOUT GOLDEN BOY: Los Angeles-based Golden Boy was established in 2002 by Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. Golden Boy is a media and entertainment brand committed to making fighting entertainment more accessible and affordable. The company’s in-house production team develops creative original programming, holds the exclusive rights to top boxers, and has promoted some of the biggest and highest-grossing events in the history of the sport. Now, Golden Boy is one of the most successful boxing entertainment companies in the world and shapes the future of boxing for fighters and fans alike.
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