Puerto Rico’s little giant Oscar Collazo moved up in weight and knocked out late-replacement Neider Valdez quickly to prove he can handle bigger guys with a knockout win on Saturday.

Collazo packs power.

“I felt great. They gave me this fight to push me,” said Collazo. “Thank God we got the win.”

The WBO minimumweight title was not at risk, but Collazo (15-0, 12 KOs) moved up two weight classes and quickly vanquished Mexico’s Valdez (15-4-3, 12 KOs) at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, Calif.

Despite the last-minute change in opponents, Collazo accepted the fight at a heavier weight class and many wondered how he would look.

Valdez, a Mexican fighter with power, accepted the fight but at 112-pounds in a flyweight contest. Collazo agreed to the terms.

Many experts wondered if Collazo, who was dominating his weight class with nine consecutive title defenses, could moved up successfully and challenge the champions in the light flyweight or flyweight division.

Collazo, a confident southpaw with quickness and pop, immediately looked comfortable in the first round as he felt out the Mexican’s power. No problem.

In the second round “El Pupilo” went to work. During a quick exchange, Collazo fired a single left cross that turned Valdez around and down. It was a knockdown and the Mexican fighter rose to re-engage. Another exchange of blows followed and this time a right hook connected on Valdez’ temple and down he went again. He quickly got up but it was evident that Collazo’s power was too much for the Mexican. The fighter continued and a sizzling left to the liver dropped Valdez again for a third time. The Mexican fighter’s corner waved the fight over and referee Thomas Taylor stopped the fight at 2:35 of the second round. It was Collazo’s fifth consecutive knockout win.

“I was looking for it. He was throwing the right with nothing behind it,” Collazo explained. “It was going to be a knockout. I felt like I had good shots at him. It was a matter of time.”

Now the question is will Collazo remain at flyweight and challenge the flyweight division’s champions like Ricardo Sandoval the WBC and WBA flyweight titlist. Both are promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.

“The real fight we want is the Mexico/Puerto Rico rivalry. I want to do that against Ricardo Sandoval. Live from Puerto Rico or from Los Angeles. It’s the biggest, best fight for their weight class today,” said Oscar De La Hoya who promotes both fighters with Golden Boy Promotions.

“I want it,” said Collazo of a Ricardo Sandoval fight. “I was born for this.”

 

Other Bouts

Mexico’s Yair Gallardo (12-0, 9 KOs) pressured Canada’s Buneet Bisla (14-2, 7 KOs), including a knockdown early in the fight, to win by unanimous decision after 10 rounds, claiming a regional light heavyweight title.

Gallardo fought through the constant clinches of Bisla and floored the Canadian fighter with a right cross in the second round. From that point on, the Mexican fighter remained in control of the fight. Bisla had success late in the fight but was never consistent with his punches.

After 10 rounds all three judges saw Gallardo the winner 97-92, 98-91, 96-93.

Despite constant clinching by his foe, Ruslan Abdullaev (5-0, 3 KOs) dropped Orestes Velasquez (8-2) early and then finished the job with a lethal left uppercut to the liver to end the super lightweight match at 1:30 of the fifth round.

Cuba’s Velasquez tried early to gain respect with some right hand shots but quickly discovered that Abdullaev was too tough. Velasquez resorted to clinching despite warnings from the referee. Then the Uzbekistani fighter took matters into his own hands.

Heavyweight prospect Joshua Edwards (7-0, 6 KOs) needed only two rounds to prove superior to Garreth Payton (7-3) and win by knockout. A right hand to the temple ended the night for Payton who was counted out at 1:06 of the second round in the heavyweight match.

“My jab felt crisp and strong. I had to start putting my combinations together,” said Edwards. “I wasn’t even throwing my power.”

Hot prospect Cayden Griffiths (9-0, 8 KOs) jumped on Mexico’s Alan Ayala (12-7) and ended the welterweight match with a body shot knockout at 2:49 of the third round.

“It wasn’t my best performance for sure,” said Griffiths. “Obviously it wasn’t the highlight film knockout…he wasn’t on my level.”

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