Berchelt: Friendship, respect for Valdez goes away on Feb. 20

Miguel Berchelt and Oscar Valdez are not enemies, but they’ll have to be on Feb. 20.

Miguel Berchelt and Oscar Valdez are not sworn enemies, there’s no huge grudge angle to sell their Feb. 20 ESPN main event. It’s just a good fight people want to see, one that could very well be an absolute war.

And Berchelt, despite his friendship with his Mexican countryman, says he’s not going to show mercy.

“Oscar is my friend and I respect him, but for 36 minutes, I’m not going to know who he is,” Berchelt said ahead of the fight.

WBC junior lightweight titlist Berchelt (37-1, 33 KO) and Valdez (28-0, 22 KO) were originally supposed to meet on Dec. 12 in Top Rank’s final card of 2020, but Berchelt came down with COVID and the fight was postponed.

It is now, unfortunately for many and perhaps indifferent for hard core boxing heads, going to run head-to-head with the Floyd Mayweather-Logan Paul exhibition. And Showtime will also be running that night with Adrien Broner’s return to the ring. None of it is exactly ideal, but hey, it’s a great fight, it’s happening when it’s happening, what can you do?