Tulare pro boxer Daniel Valdivia sets sight on NABF junior title

Daniel Valdivia had a vision of one day fighting for a title and to be showcased on a televised event.

That opportunity arrives Saturday for the Tulare native.

Valdivia (8-0, 6 KOs) will face Jeremy Ramos (9-1, 4 KOs) of Denver for the vacant NABF junior super welterweight title in a bout scheduled for eight rounds at Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore.

“Saturday means the world to me,” Valdivia said. “It’s been what I’ve been working for my whole life since jumping into boxing at 10 years old. Fighting for an NABF junior title, it’s the next big step. Just go out there and give it my all.”

The Tachi fights will include Mexicali’s Andy Ruiz (24-0, 17 knockouts) in a heavyweight bout that replaces one that was to have featured junior welterweight Jose Ramirez, the rising star from Avenal who was sidelined by a thumb injury.

An eight-fight card begins at 6:30 p.m., with the main bouts shown tape-delayed at 11 as part of Solo Boxeo Tecate on UniMas (Comcast Channel 12).

Valdivia, 23, is coming off a first-round technical knockout of Wilfredo Acuna in July in Phoenix. His most recent fight in the central San Joaquin Valley was in May at Selland Arena – a six-round unanimous decision over Rick Graham.

“It wasn’t the best night of my boxing career,” Valdivia said of that May bout. “A lot of fans want to see a knockout, blood, but sometimes in those fights you have to find a way to squeeze them out. We weren’t happy with my performance, but I redeemed myself (in July) and put myself in good position to that level where I'm supposed to be. This fight is huge.”

Promoter Rick Mirigian went a step further.

“This is a must win fight for Valdivia,” Mirigian said, “the toughest of his career and on national TV. A loss would be devastating and a major setback … a win pushes Valdivia’s career to a new level and puts him in the mix for a TV shot (in Fresno). He has worked his entire life for this moment.”

With a win Saturday, his next fight would be on the Dec. 5 card at the Save Mart Center, where Ramirez is expected to be fully healed and serve as the headliner.

“I don’t think too far ahead,” Valdivia said. “The motivation is the guy is 9-1. It’s competition … 1-on-1 and that’s about it. Jeremy Ramos is on my mind. Go out there and keep to my plan.”

Ramirez progressing – Surgery on Ramirez’s right thumb in early September was considered successful and the 2012 U.S. Olympian said this week that he will be ready for Dec. 5.

Ramirez is wearing a fiberglass cast for two weeks, then will start physical therapy and boxing training thereafter. He suffered the injury during sparring at Wild Card Boxing Club.

Ramirez is 15-0 with 12 knockouts.

This story was originally published September 24, 2015 at 8:36 PM with the headline "Tulare pro boxer Daniel Valdivia sets sight on NABF junior title."