Author: Sean Crose

On Saturday night, Oscar Colazzo decided to move up to the flyweight division. His hard-won world title wasn’t on the line because he was moving to a up-to-date division, but the stakes were still high for the popular Puerto Rican fighter. Things started badly before Collazo slipped between the ropes. For Neider Valdez, Saturday’s opponent, Collazo replaced him at the last minute. Collazo’s scheduled opponent in the 10-round bout, Joey Canoy, had visa issues and, as a result, Collazo later had to jump to a different weight class. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but both Colazzo and Valdez realized the players were struggling.

Bantamweight champion Colazzo threw himself with a southpaw in the first. Valdez, however, was not overwhelmed by the world champion, his own dedication and landing. Palazzo’s impressive left shot knocked out Valdez early in the second. With that said, the man was able to quickly get back on his feet to hit the mat once again. Another series of shots knocked down Valdez for the third time. Once again he was able to get up, but his corner thought better of it and stopped the fight.

The cut low of the fight was simply a demonstration of the difference between the champion and his last-minute successor. Valdez deserved credit for showing up and giving his all, but he was wildly classless. One wondered if he would even be able to represent an airline division. The DAZN broadcast team seemed dissatisfied with Valdez’s behavior, feeling that Valdez pulled out of the fight early. That may or may not have been true, but either way it was solid to imagine Valdez having a good night to himself.

“I feel great,” Collazo said later. He had a good reason for this. He successfully won his flyweight debut in less than three rounds. “I’m ready to make history,” Collazo added. “He’s the biggest little man in the boxing world today,” said promoter Oscar De La Hoya.

There was no doubt that Colazzo looked excellent, but the quality of his opposition was so impoverished that you have to wonder how Colazzo would have fared against stronger competition in the league. Make no mistake, Valdez was a replacement opponent who wasn’t expected to have much of a chance at first. Of course, there was a chance for him to shock the world. But he just couldn’t defy expectations in such an obvious way.

There is no doubt that Colazzo is an excellent fighter. He is aggressive, hits solid and exudes confidence. It’s not effortless for anyone. Indeed, he may be one of the more hard fighters to beat in boxing right now. Oscar De La Hoya certainly had plans for him, and after Saturday’s performance, it’s effortless to see why. If he continues playing at this pace, he will have a brilliant future ahead of him.

Smaller fighters like Colazzo don’t always get a lot of love from boxing fans, but there’s a lot to like in the smaller divisions. Those who fight at featherweight have an incredible skill set and very keen and correct striking. The pace at lower weights is speedy, and the players themselves show a lot of fortitude. Fighters like Michael Carbajal and even Manny Pacquiao have helped erase the image of the little fighter that no one wants to see. Indeed, smaller weight divisions can be seen significantly on television. Perhaps that’s why De La Hoya has so much faith in Collazo.