Oscar Collazo won his flyweight debut with a second-round stoppage of Neider Valdez on Saturday. The minimumweight champion immediately called out unified flyweight titleholder Ricardo Sandoval, a fight his promoter Oscar De La Hoya is keen to make, setting up a major clash.
Collazo (15-0, 12 KOs) made an unscheduled move up two weight classes after his original opponent failed to secure a visa and Valdez could not make the 105-pound limit. The change in weight had no effect on his power. He dropped Valdez three times in the second round, forcing a corner stoppage that confirmed his dominance. The performance proved his strength carries effectively to the 112-pound division.
When asked about competing at the higher weight, Collazo was definitive. “I feel great, I feel great, I feel great, I love this division. As a matter of fact, I want to stay in this division a long time, let’s see.” This quick and successful test against Valdez has solidified his ambition to leave the minimumweight division behind.
His focus is now squarely on Ricardo Sandoval (27-2, 18 KOs), the unified WBC and WBA flyweight champion. Collazo did not hesitate to issue a challenge. “I really want it…it really interests me. I hope Oscar De La Hoya and Eddie Gomez can see that through. I’m ready for it, I’m ready for the big fights. I’m ready to make history. I was born for this, I’m the pound-for-pound champion, and I’m ready for the big fights, and that’s the fight that I want.” A match against Sandoval would mean Collazo skips the light flyweight division entirely in a direct challenge for the top spot at flyweight.
Promoter Oscar De La Hoya, who represents both fighters, endorsed the potential bout and wants to frame it as a classic Mexico versus Puerto Rico rivalry. Because it is an in-house fight, it should be straightforward to organize. Collazo has already assessed his target. “He’s a very good fighter, he’s a pressure fighter. He likes to work – body and head. He goes to the front. He’s a Mexican fighter but he’s a very talented fighter and has a good team behind. I believe it’ll be a perfect…a very, very good fight.” With Sandoval coming off a nearly year-long layoff, the timing is ideal for both camps to arrange a significant title fight.
