Liam Wilson intent on fulfilling promise to late father in March world title fight

Aussie boxer Liam Wilson has vowed to make good on his second chance at becoming a world champion in March, while fulfilling a promise made to his late father.

No Limit – Fight night at Star City 15th Dec 2023 Pictures: No Limit Boxing/Gregg Porteous

Liam Wilson has vowed to make good on his second chance at becoming a world champion, while avenging his controversial loss in his first world championship bout, when he takes on Oscar Valdez on March 29 (March 30 in Australia) in Glendale, Arizona.

The super-featherweight shootout will kick off arguably the biggest weekend for Australian fighters in America in boxing history, with Tim Tszyu and Michael Zerafa both fighting in Las Vegas the following day.

For Wilson though, the fight is another chance to make good on the promise he made to his dying father more than a decade ago.

“I always think about my dad every single day, and he always gets me through the tough times,” Wilson told this masthead from his training camp in Thailand after US promoter Top Rank officially confirmed the bout today.

Wilson gets his shot at history in March. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

“I’ve got a promise to him that I need to fulfil. I’ve got my own two kids now too, so that’s added motivation to the list.

“They’re my motivation now as well, they travel with me wherever I fight, and I’m their hero. I feel like it’s my duty to do good things as their dad, and that’s by winning fights.”

As his dad, Peter, lay on his deathbed at just 52 years of age, Wilson – then just a hopeful amateur – promised him that he’d win them a world title one day.

He thought he’d turned that dream into reality last year when he floored WBO super-featherweight champion Emanuel Navarrete in the fourth round. But the fight ended in controversy and heartbreak as the referee allowed Navarrete nearly half a minute to recover, with the Mexican eventually stopping Wilson in the ninth.

Wilson bounced back with two wins to round out 2023, propelling him back into title contention.

Meanwhile, Navarrete is rumoured to be moving up to lightweight, leaving the WBO super-featherweight title vacant and up for grabs.

Needless to say Wilson would jump at the chance to fight for the belt if it was on offer against Valdez, but he knows the size of the task ahead of him.

Valdez is an all-action fighter, who is also coming off a loss to Navarrete, with the 33-year-old dropping an entertaining decision to his countryman in August.

With two world titles already under his belt though, there’s a sense Valdez’s best days are behind him.

Liam Wilson promised his dying father he would be a champion. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

“He’s definitely getting on, he’s been around for a long time and has been in some hard fights,” Wilson said. “

“His fight with Navarrete was entertaining, and Valdez had some good times, but I think I gave Navarrete more resistance.

“But I know styles make fights as well, so I’m trying not to look too far into it.

“He’s 33, at the back end of his career, and he’s trying to prove that he still has it. That makes him even more dangerous.

“I’m expecting a hard fight, and that’s why I’m training as if my life depended on it.”

The Valdez fight is also a return to the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale where his dreams came so horribly unstuck against Navarrete, and he says he has unfinished business there.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said. “The way things panned out last time, I lost in a controversial way, and I wouldn’t want to do it any other way than to go back there, to the same venue, but this time leaving a winner.

“I won over a lot of fans over there, and I’ve still got people messaging me about that fight.

“The whole boxing public is pumped up for it.”

Wilson will battle Oscar Valdez. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Wilson admitted to a few worries about the refereeing and officiating heading back to Arizona, but plans to take matters into his own hands.

“There’s a few concerns, but I plan on winning in good fashion,” he said. “I’m going over there with a knockout on my mind and that’s purely because of how the last fight went down.”

The bout kicks off arguably the biggest weekend for Australian boxers in America, with Tszyu headlining his first fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas against Keith Thurman a day later.

The card will also feature Zerafa’s long-awaited WBA middleweight world title showdown with Erislandy Lara.

“It’s pretty surreal having three Australians fighting on the other side of the world,” Wilson said. “I’m excited, and I just feel so privileged to be part of it.

“I’ll be able to look back on this in years to come and say I was part of that huge weekend of boxing.”

Originally published as Liam Wilson intent on fulfilling promise to late father in March world title fight