Jose Valenzuela got revenge on his mind when he fought Edwin de los Santos on Sunday night. sky sports.
He is determined to avenge his loss to De los Santos in 2022 and prove that he is a future opponent for American star Shakur Stevenson.
After Terence Crawford retired, Stevenson was widely regarded as America’s greatest boxer. This is why he is an attractive target for Valenzuela.
“I can’t help but think about Shakur Stevenson. He’s the guy I’ve always wanted to fight. He’s an incredible fighter,” Valenzuela said. sky sports.
“I would like to fight Shakur Stevenson. That is a fight that really impresses me.
“That’s what boxing is: competing against each other.” He continued: “Style breeds fight and I think it’s the perfect style for Shakur Stevenson.”
His immediate goal is to prove himself in his rematch with De Los Santos on Sunday night at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.
He believes this is his second chance to “make things right” after suffering a shocking knockout loss in their first fight. De los Santos is the only opponent to stop Valenzuela from range.
Edwin de los Santos (left) faces Valenzuela after cutting weight in Las Vegas.
“I’m ready now,” Valenzuela said. “I was green and immature.
“I believe I’m better than him. The day we fought, I wasn’t ready.”
He is convinced that that setback, his first professional defeat, changed him.
“Maybe it got to me a little bit. I was coming off a string of knockouts, but it was a really humbling experience. I believe God woke me up before it was too late,” Valenzuela recalled.
“After that, I had another loss. Two losses in a row. I went on a losing streak and had to come back and knock out (Chris) Colbert and then become world champion.”
His win over Isaac Cruz for the WBA super lightweight title showed the level of success he is capable of. He then returned to the 135lbs division with a loss to Gary Antuanne Russell.
But for De los Santos, this was the fight he wanted. “I broke up with Gary and I finally learned a lot from it all and became a man,” Valenzuela said. “I’m now in a place where I can just focus on boxing and my family.
“It will be completely different. I am a total warrior.”
This is what he has to prove. On his chances of beating De los Santos, Valenzuela reflected: “It proves that I am who I say I am.
“You can lose, you can learn, you can improve, and you can come back and be better. Losses don’t define you. Anything will help.”
Watch Edwin De Los Santos vs Jose Valenzuela live sky sports action From 9:30 PM on Sunday
