Bayamon, Puerto Rico (September 6, 2016) – In less than two weeks, IBF #8 ranked super bantamweight Luis “Orlandito” Del Valle enters the ring against unbeaten and highly regarded Diego De La Hoya.
The bout opens the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez –Liam Smith HBO pay-per-view telecast Saturday, September 17 from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX and is scheduled for ten rounds. Del Valle, who fought on HBO and Showtime on multiple occasions, considers this bout the most important of his career as he’s facing a foe that is in a position he himself was once in.
“Going into my fight with Vic Darchinyan, I was unbeaten and there was a lot of hype behind me,” said Del Valle, who is 22-2 with 16 knockouts. “That fight was supposed to get me to the next level with a victory over a former world champion but unfortunately it didn’t go down that way. Vic had a ton of experience and was the better man that night. I learned a lot as a man, fighter and about preparation at the top level. Now I feel that I’m in the role Vic was against me when I face De La Hoya.”
To ensure he excels on the grandest stage of his career, Del Valle’s currently in a grueling training camp in his native Puerto Rico. With head trainer Emilo Lozada leading the way, Del Valle’s put in countless hours honing his craft. Against the 15-0 De La Hoya, in what most expect to be the kind of high octane fight that epitomizes the Puerto Rico vs Mexico rivalry, Del Valle added new strength and conditioning drills so he’s able to engage in a high octane battle without running out of gas.
“It’s no secret that I bring the fight to everybody that gets in the ring with me. Diego and his team are looking to prove that he’s the real deal and they expect an impressive Mexican-style performance from him. What that means is this has all the makings of a fast paced brawl where nobody wants to take a step backwards. In order to come out of the battle as the victor, you’ve got to be ready for war. After what I’ve been through physically, mentally and emotionally in my training, I’m more than ready. All of the hard work will pay off when I break Diego De La Hoya down September 17!”