Miguel Berchelt Vs. Eleazar Valenzuela Odds, Records, Prediction

Much like 122-pound titlist Emanuel Navarrete last week, Miguel Berchelt will get a soft touch in his first fight since the coronavirus pandemic. But Berchelt, one of the best 130-pounders in the world, isn’t planning to take Eleazar Valenzuela lightly when they meet in a TV Azteca studio in Mexico City on Saturday night in a fight you can watch on ESPN.

Berchelt has bigger plans ahead of him, and an upset loss to Valenzuela in this non-title bout would derail his career.

“I know this is not the kind of fight I am used to; it’s not a championship fight and the opponent is not like the last ones, but I am looking forward to going in the ring. I haven’t fought since last November and I need to be active,” Berchelt told The Ring. “… I have learned that there is no small opponent in the ring. All the fighters have dreams and I have to take this fight seriously.”

There are plenty of reasons to watch Berchelt tangle with Valenzuela. Here are three of them.

1) Berchelt is one of the most exciting fighters to watch today: It’s hard for the junior lightweight titlist to make a non-exciting fight. Berchelt is hard-charging and aggressive with good power, and he’s waged wars vs. Francisco Vargas and Takashi Miura. He’s just so much fun to watch. This fight will be contested at 135 pounds instead of Berchelt’s usual 130. But that shouldn’t make much of a difference in this fight. “Berchelt is just a machine,” boxing analyst Max Kellerman recently said, via Boxing News 24.

2) Who in the heck is Valenzuela?: Unlike Navarrete’s opponent last week, Berchelt’s opponent is a 25-year-old from Mexico who has actually fought solid competition. He lost to former title challenger Jono Carroll and had a no-contest with Jose Zepeda, and he hasn’t necessarily looked overwhelmed when he’s taken on elite competition. Still, he’s never faced anybody remotely like Berchelt. But here’s another positive: Valenzuela is an active fighter, competing seven times in 2019. “I saw Valenzuela against Jono Carroll in Hermosillo, and it won’t be easy at all,” Berchelt said.

3) Berchelt is already looking ahead: The biggest fight that Berchelt could make for now is Oscar Valdez, a featherweight titlist who has moved up to 130 pounds. It would be a fascinating matchup—though I’d make Berchelt the favorite—but for now, it’ll have to wait. “It’s worth noting that Oscar has already suffered an injury on his jaw [in the Scott Quigg fight],” Berchelt told World Boxing News in April. “He broke his jaw. That’s why I believe they are going to try to fight a smart fight [against me]. He is also moving up in weight, and I don’t think he should be trading punches with me.”

Miguel Berchelt vs. Eleazar Valenzuela Odds

Unsurprisingly, Berchelt is the massive betting favorite at -10000, meaning you’d have to wager $10,000 to win just $100. Valenzuela, meanwhile, is +1200, which means you’d earn $1,200 on a $100 bet. Earlier on Friday, Berchelt was listed at -9500.

UPDATE: As of noon on Saturday, Berchelt has dropped to -8000 and Valenzuela is now +1000.

Miguel Berchelt vs. Eleazar Valenzuela Records

Berchelt is 37-1 with 33 knockouts. After getting knocked out in the first round by Luis Florez in 2014, Berchelt has won 16 straight with 15 KOs, even though he’s faced some of the toughest junior lightweights in the sport.

Last week, Lopez’s record going into his fight with Navarrete was 13-13-1. At least Valenzuela’s record is better than that. He’s 21-13-4 with 16 KOs. He’s lost two of his last four, including a second-round TKO at the hands of Miguel Angel Parra last December.

Miguel Berchelt vs. Eleazar Valenzuela Prediction

Much like Navarrete last week, I like Berchelt to overwhelm his journeyman opponent. I was a little surprised it took Navarrete six rounds to dispatch Uriel Lopez last week. I don’t think it’ll take Berchelt as long as that on Saturday night. Valenzuela has more experience than Lopez did, but Berchelt should dominate. Say, Berchelt by TKO in the fourth round.

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