After Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela demolished Edwin De Los Santos in their rematch, he immediately called for a fight with Shakur Stevenson. Stevenson showed little interest, leaving Valenzuela looking elsewhere for the marquee fight he wants.
Rather than sounding discouraged, Valenzuela believes his biggest obstacle is finding opponents willing to face him.
“I mean, I just keep going through the roster they put in and the guys they put in front of me. I’m scared none of these guys are going to want to call my name. I think I’m a nightmare for all these guys. So, I just pray and hope that I get big fights,” Valenzuela said on Inside the Ring.
Valenzuela’s stock has climbed since avenging his knockout loss to De Los Santos. Their first meeting ended with Valenzuela stopped after accepting the fight on short notice. The rematch ended much differently, with Valenzuela knocking out De Los Santos in the opening round after Stevenson’s harder-fought decision victory over the same opponent.
When asked what it will take to secure the opportunities he wants, Valenzuela kept his answer simple.
“If the opportunity presents itself, I’ll be ready,” Rayo said.
Later in the interview, Valenzuela welcomed a fight with Raymond Muratalla or the winner of William Zepeda versus Lamont Roach Jr., making it clear he is willing to face any of the division’s top names. He also reiterated that he wants the biggest fights available, regardless of the opponent.
Valenzuela presents the type of risk contenders often struggle to get rewarded for. His power changes fights with a single punch, while the financial upside remains limited. Shakur may still beat him over 12 rounds, but the margin for error is much smaller than it would be against many other lightweights. One clean left hand can erase an otherwise perfect performance.
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Last Updated on 2026/07/30 at 8:10 PM
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