Oscar Valdez, Gilberto Ramirez to defend titles on September 22nd ESPN show

Top Rank darlings Oscar Valdez and Gilberto Ramirez will put their WBO titles on the line on September 22nd when they headline an ESPN card in Tucson, Arizona against unbeaten challengers Genesis Servania and Jesse Hart, respectively.

Valdez (22-0, 19 KO) passed his stiffest test to date last April when he outdueled the game Miguel Marriaga in the second defense of his featherweight title. The decision snapped a five-fight knockout streak that included Chris Avalos, Evgeny Gradovich, and Matias Rueda.

Servania (29-0, 12 KO), ranked #4 by the sanctioning body, just made the jump to 126 last year and has beaten a generally decent crop of Asian/Pacific contenders. Anything can happen in this sport, but it’s likely Valdez goes back to his finishing ways against the unproven Filipino.

Ramirez (35-0, 24 KO) cruised past Arthur Abraham for his super middleweight title two Aprils ago, then swept Max Bursak on the Valdez-Marriaga card. Hart, his number-one contender, has scored two knockouts since a near-disaster against journeyman and UFC veteran Dashon Johnson in March of 2016.

The card will also feature Felix Verdejo against Antonio Lozado Jr., who replaces the injured Terry Flanagan and further extends Verdejo fans’ impatient suffering.

Hey, at least it’s not a pay-per-view this time. I think.