For the first time in more than a decade, former two-division world champion Oscar Valdez returned to fight on Mexican soil.
The 34-year-old beat San Antonio native Ricky Medina via unanimous decision (97-93, 100-90, and 98-92) Saturday night at Domo Binacional in his hometown of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.
Medina, 10 years Valdez’s junior, absorbed the veteran’s best shots and often muscled him to the ropes.
Valdez (33-3, 24 KOs) struck early but didn’t find his rhythm until the middle rounds, when he began to mix in heavier shots upstairs and to the body.
The two-time Mexican Olympian kept the tempo high down the stretch, but Medina (16-4, 9 KOs), who has never been stopped as a pro, refused to wilt.
Valdez said, “I know today wasn’t my best performance, but I promise to come back home and deliver a great fight.
“I don’t like to give excuses, but I hurt my shoulder in the first round, and that impeded what I wanted to do. But thank God we got past this fight.
“I want to be a world champion again. I want to come back home with that world title.”
Junior Featherweight: Israel Ramirez (23-2, 12 KOs) NC 3 Jose Amaro (12-0-1, 4 KOs). The fight was stopped at 1:18 due to a cut above Ramirez’s left eye caused by an accidental headbutt.
Junior Featherweight: Angel Patron (18-0, 13 KOs) TKO 3 Carlos Vargas (18-3, 13 KOs), Time of stoppage: 1:52.
Junior Welterweight: Erick Fernando Campos (7-1, 2 KOs) TKO 5 Omar Garcia (3-4-2), Time of stoppage: 2:35.
Junior Lightweight: Luis Corona (6-0-1, 4 KOs) MD 6 Yohan Orduño (3-1, 3 KOs). Scores: 58-56 2x and 57-57.
