Jose Valenzuela spent an entire training camp preparing for a cunning former champion.
He will gladly settle for an opponent with a completely different style, as it means he can still look forward to a fight this weekend.
The inability to obtain a travel visa in time forced former WBA junior lightweight champion Jezreel Corrales (26-4-1, 10KOs) to pull out of his crossroads fight with Valenzuela (12-0, 8KOs) this weekend. of week. The undefeated Mexican lightweight will now face Edwin De Los Santos (14-1, 13KOs), a hard-hitting southpaw from the Dominican Republic who boarded a plane to Los Angeles just hours after receiving the call Wednesday afternoon for the assignment. .
“I like to thank him for stepping in and saving the show,” Valenzuela said during Thursday’s news conference to discuss his upcoming lightweight fight. “I would have loved to fight Corrales, he is qualified. But it is what it is. [De Los Santos is] one hell of a fighter. Fourteen wins and thirteen knockouts. He will bring out the best in me and it will be a great show.”
The change leaves Valenzuela now to prepare for an energetic and advanced knockout artist in place of the shorter, feisty Corrales, who was envisioned to test the ring IQ of the undefeated 23-year-old.
Of course, ‘El Rayo’ has gotten used to leaving no stone unturned when preparing for any fight. It’s about being surrounded by an all-star team: Valenzuela is a longtime stablemate of undefeated former two-time super middleweight champion David Benavidez, whose father, Jose Sr., trains both fighters out of the Seattle metro area. .
Sunday’s appearance, which opens a four-fight Fox Sports Pay-Per-View from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles (9:00 pm ET, $74.95), is the fifth fight in just over a year for Valenzuela, who welcomes the new challenge as he rises from prospect to contender.
“I’m ready for anyone,” insisted Valenzuela. “I’m facing a guy with a good knockout rate and I know he’s dangerous. But we trained too hard and no matter who I face, I’m ready to put on a great performance and you know I’m coming for a knockout.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
