Jose Valenzuela vs Edwin De Los Santos Preview September 4th, 2022
Unbeaten Jose Valenzuela of Mexico will be putting his WBC Continental Americas Lightweight Title on the line this Sunday, September 4th when he takes on fellow southpaw Edwin De Los Santos of the Dominican Republic. Valenzuela was scheduled to take on former world champion Jezzrel Corrales of Panama but Corrales had problems obtaining a visa. Valenzuela won the vacant minor belt in his last outing in April when he stopped veteran and former world champ Francisco Vargas in just 85 seconds. Los Santos last boxed in March when he stopped Luis Acosta in the second round. This 10-round fight from Los Angeles can be seen live in America on Fox pay per view and in the UK on the FITE network as it’s on the undercard of the Andy Ruiz vs Luis Ortiz battle.
Valenzuela vs De Los Santos Betting Odds
Here are the betting odds from online sportsbook BetOnline.ag (full review here).
- Edwin De Los Santos +600
- Jose Valenzuela -1000
My Pick
Valenzuela is just 23 years old and enters the contest with a perfect mark of 12-0 with 8 Ko’s and has fought 42 rounds since making his pro debut in 2018. He stands 5-feet-10-inches tall with a 70-inch reach which means the southpaw, who now fights out of America, is four inches taller than Corrales and has a three-inch reach advantage. He also has the edge in power with a current knockout ratio of 66.7 per cent.
This isn’t really a step up in class for Valenzuela following his bout with Francisco Vargas, but Vargas is pushing 40 years old and was basically damaged goods when he met him. Valenzuela’s first 11 opponents were basically novices and journeymen as he kicked off his pro career and made his way up the lightweight ranks. However, it’s arguable that De Los Santos could be a tougher opponent than Jezzrel Corrales would have been due to his power and aggressiveness.
The 22-year-old De Los Santos boasts a fine record of 14-1 with 13 bis Ko’s. He’s boxed just 35 rounds since making his pro debut in 2018 and that’s due to his recording all 13 of his stoppages by the sixth round. In fact, he’s stopped six opponents in the first round, five in the second round and one in the sixth. He definitely has power in his fists with a current knockout ratio of 86.7 per cent.
The only loss on De Los Santos’ record came in January when he dropped an eight-round split decision to William Foster III. His opponents so far have been unranked fighters as he’s kicking off his pro career but he managed to win the vacant WBA Fedecaribe Super Featherweight Crown in 2019 with a 52-second stoppage of Antoni Armas.
He then added the vacant WBA Fedecaribe Lightweight Title a year later when he stopped Juan Perez in 62 seconds and the vacant WBC Latino Super Featherweight Belt last year when he halted Luis Alvarez in the first round. De Los Santos stands 5-feet-8-inches tall with a 70-inch reach which means he gives up two inches in height to Valenzuela.
Prediction…
You never know what’s going to happen when a boxer steps in as a late replacement, especially with the power of De Los Santos. I believe if Valenzuela utilizes his slight edge in height and stays aggressive then he should be able to get past De Los Santos. But he’s going to have to be able to handle his opponent’s power to do so.
I like Valenzuela in close fight.
Play: Valenzuela -100 @ BetOnline.ag
Check out my recent boxing betting picks to see my current form.
Edwin De Los Santos betting • Jose Valenzuela betting