Jose Valenzuela's Round 2 Right Hook Redemption and Nobody in Boxing Is Ready For It

HOLY SMOKES. If you blinked, you missed it, but Jose Valenzuela went out there and SENT A MESSAGE to the entire fight game! Revenge is a dish best served with a picture-perfect right hook, and Valenzuela dished it out cold as ice against Edwin De Los Santos in their 135-pound rematch. This wasn't merely a win, fam, this was a STATEMENT. It all went down in the Chelsea Ballroom at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and trust me, you're gonna want to rewatch this one.

That Shot Was Absolutely FILTHY

You guys, Valenzuela, a 27-year-old former 140-pound titleholder, came into this main event with a 16-3 record and 10 KOs. But it was *how* he got number 10 that’s got the boxing world buzzing. At 2:05 of Round 2, Valenzuela landed a PICTURE-PERFECT right hook that dropped De Los Santos like a ton of bricks. We're talking lights out, folks. De Los Santos, a 26-year-old slugger, just couldn't get back to his feet and was counted out. It was a rapid finish that capped an already exciting Zuffa 08 card. Yeah, De Los Santos landed a flush left cross in Round 1, but once Valenzuela adjusted and started counterpunching, it was over. He even hurt De Los Santos late in the first round with a counter left, followed by another to wobble him. Valenzuela came out in Round 2 like a man possessed, landed another huge counter left, and then that finishing right hook. Honestly, it was brutal, even if the referee Thomas Taylor let a follow-up uppercut slide while De Los Sa

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"I Was a Kid" and Now He's a Problem

This wasn't just any fight. This was a REMATCH. Back in 2022, De Los Santos handed Valenzuela a third-round KO loss in what was described as a wild fight where both guys hit the canvas. Fast forward four years, and Valenzuela is a different fighter. He said it himself, "I was a kid, I was a boy when we first fought. I grew up." He got real deep, talking about how he matured, evolved, and how you can lose and still come back a better fighter and human being. He truly believes he went in at maybe 30% of his ability in that first clash. Well, consider this his 100%, because he looked absolutely unbeatable out there. "It's one of the best feelings in the world," he said, and you could feel that redemption dripping off every word.

Shakur Stevenson, You're On Notice

So, what's next for "El Rayo" after a statement like that? He wasted NO time making his intentions clear after the fight. Valenzuela called out unbeaten junior welterweight titleholder and four-division champion Shakur Stevenson! We're talking about one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the sport here, folks. Stevenson even beat De Los Santos himself in a tentative decision back in 2023. Valenzuela wants that smoke, telling reporters, "I want Shakur Stevenson. He's a hell of a fighter and I would love to compete with him. Styles make fights. I'm a real fighter." Valenzuela just served up a cold plate of revenge and immediately set his sights on the top. The boxing world is on high alert after that performance.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.