“I feel great. I feel great. I love this division,” Collazo said following his victory. “Matter of fact, I want to stay in the division a long time. Let’s see.”
The comments came after Collazo improved to 15-0 (12 KOs) by stopping Valdez in the second round of their flyweight main event. The fight was originally scheduled as a minimumweight title defense against Joey Canoy, but visa issues forced Canoy to withdraw during fight week.
Valdez stepped in on short notice and was dropped multiple times before referee Thomas Taylor halted the contest at the 2:35 mark of round two.
While the fight itself was one-sided, Collazo’s post-fight comments may have provided the bigger story.
When asked about a possible showdown with WBA and WBO flyweight champion Ricardo Sandoval, Collazo made it clear that the matchup appeals to him.
“I really want it. It really interests me,” Collazo said. “I’m ready for it. I’m ready for the big fights. I’m ready to make history.”
Collazo then left little doubt about where Sandoval sits on his wish list.
“That’s the fight that I want.”
The idea received immediate support from promoter Oscar De La Hoya, who believes the matchup would be one of the most attractive fights available in the lower weight classes.
In a post-fight interview after Collazo’s victory, De La Hoya praised the Puerto Rican champion and pushed for a showdown with Sandoval.
“I want Oscar Collazo to go up two weight divisions and let’s do that fight,” De La Hoya said.
De La Hoya also predicted an entertaining clash between the two champions.
“It’s the biggest, best fight out there for both guys,” he said. “Stylistically, it will be a war. It will be a tremendous, tremendous fight.”
Collazo remains the unified champion at 105 pounds. However, his comments suggest Saturday’s appearance at flyweight may have opened the door to opportunities beyond the minimumweight division.
Whether that leads directly to a fight with Sandoval remains to be seen, but both Collazo and De La Hoya appear eager to make it happen.
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