Tag: Jeremiah Nakathila

Good, bad, worse: For Tim Tszyu, it’s mission accomplished

Good, bad, worse: For Tim Tszyu, it was mission accomplished against Terrell Gausha on Saturday.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

Tim Tszyu did what he set out to do in his unanimous-decision victory over Terrell Gausha on Saturday, which was to prove that he’s among the best 154-pounders on the planet.

The Aussie wasn’t perfect. He got careless in the first round, when he went down from a straight right. He took a lot of hard shots overall. And his work might’ve been easier had he worked more behind his jab, which wasn’t a factor in the fight.

However, the good far outweighed the bad.

He bounced back immediately from the knockdown, demonstrating that adversity is no threat to him. He imposed his will on Gausha ferociously and effectively in spite of the incoming fire, which allowed him to control the fight and undoubtedly got the attention of potential opponents.

And he never doubted himself for a moment even though he was fighting outside his native country for the first time. He’s a special fighter and he knows it.

I don’t know how he’d fare against Jermell Charlo, a more-complete and more-powerful fighter than Gausha. The same for Brian Castano and Erickson Lubin, whose strengths are formidable.

However, I believe strongly that Tszyu (21-0, 15 KOs) has a combination of ability, strength and determination that would pose a challenge for any of the above.

It’s not fair to compare Tszyu to his famous father, Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu. To do that is to set him up for failure, at least at the moment. At the same time, I believe there’s a chance he could turn out to be the most successful son of a great fighter in the history of sport.

It will be fascinating to see how this story plays out.

 

BAD

Gausha (22-3-1, 11 KOs) is a good fighter, as he demonstrated once again on Saturday.

The 2012 U.S. Olympian put Tszyu down, survived some of his own harrowing moments and continued to fight his heart out until the bell to end the 12th and final round. As he said, “I hate losing but I went out like a champion.”

But now what?

Gausha is 2-3-1 in his last six fights, including clear, unanimous-decision losses against Erislandy Lara, Erickson Lubin and Tszyu, and a draw with Austin Trout. He’s 34 years old, an age when things typically begin to wind down.

How many more chances can he be given before the powers to be say, ‘It’s just not going to happen for him?” The number has to be small.

That said, the spirit with which he fought against Tszyu probably gives him hope that he’s not quite finished as a relevant fighter.

He was too passive much of the fight. And he spent too much time taking punches with his back against the ropes, the result of Tszyu’s constant pressure. He never stopped trying, though, never stopped looking for ways to hurt Tszyu even as he was taking a beating.

Fans appreciate that. They’ll probably want to see him again in an important fight.

As Tszyu said immediately after the fight: “All respect to my opponent, Terrell Gausha. He’s one hell of a warrior.”

 

WORSE

Miguel Berchelt insisted after his second consecutive knockout loss that he’d be back. That’s difficult to imagine.

Two fights ago the 30-year-old Mexican was a world titleholder and one of the most-feared punchers in the sport. Since then he has been knocked out twice, first by Oscar Valdez to lose his belt and then by Jeremiah Nakathila in his comeback fight Saturday.

In the latter bout he looked a deer in headlights, not a former champion who has been fighting professionally for more than a decade.

He appeared to be what one of the broadcasters called “gun shy,” meaning memories of the brutal 10th-round knockout loss to Valdez were dancing cruelly in his head. He was more concerned about avoiding a similar fate that doing what it would’ve taken to win the fight.

That’s a recipe for the disaster that played out, as he took a pounding. You can’t win with that mindset.

I was wondering while I watched in astonishment in the early rounds whether Berchelt would find his inner warrior and begin to throw back at Nakathila. He showed signs of doing so in Rounds 4 and 5, when had his most success.

It was too late, though. His legs were shaky and so was his confidence, even if his instincts did allow him to stand his ground for a bit. That set up a decisive Round 6, in which Nakathila (23-2, 19 KOs) landed at will and convinced the ring doctor that Berchelt had taken enough punishment.

Again, Berchelt (38-3, 34 KOs) said he’ll defeat whatever demons are haunting him. I wish him luck. It is going to take superhuman inner strength for him to regain what he had before the Valdez fight.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Josh Warrington demonstrated the proper way to emerge from a rut Saturday in Leeds, England, his hometown. He had been stopped and fought to a draw with Mauricio Lara in his previous two fights, which left his career as an top fighter in jeopardy. He responded by seizing the featherweight belt of Kiko Martinez (43-11-2, 30 KOs), who went down, suffered multiple cuts and ultimately couldn’t withstand Warrington’s relentless attack. The fight was stopped at 2:12 of Round 7, making Warrington (31-1-1, 8 KOs) a two-time world titleholder and allowing him to regain much of what he had lost against Lara. … Lightweight contender Michel Rivera (23-0, 14 KOs) jabbed his way to a one-sided decision over Joseph Adorno (14-1-2, 12 KOs) on the Tszyu-Gausha card, underscoring his reputation as a fine, polished boxer. The problem for him was that he relied almost solely on that punch. The Dominican is going to have to throw more power punches – ideally in combination – to succeed against next-level opponents. He’s still a work in progress. … Elvis Rodriguez (13-1-1, 12 KOs) looked like a legitimate junior welterweight contender on the Tszyu-Gausha card, beating up and then stopping Juan Velasco (23-3, 14 KOs) in the seventh round. The L.A.-based Dominican has now won two fights since he was upset Kenneth Sims Jr. in May of last year. … The judges scored the Tszyu-Gausha fight 116-111 (nine rounds to three), 115-112 (eight to four) and 114-113 (seven to five). I had it 117-110 for Tszyu, 10 rounds to two. The 114-113 card of Robert Hecko was too tight, in my opinion. Gausha gave a courageous performance but didn’t win five rounds. Tszyu clearly controlled the fight from the second round on, throwing and landing many more punches than Gausha.

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Good, bad, worse: For Tim Tszyu, it’s mission accomplished

Good, bad, worse: For Tim Tszyu, it was mission accomplished against Terrell Gausha on Saturday.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

Tim Tszyu did what he set out to do in his unanimous-decision victory over Terrell Gausha on Saturday, which was to prove that he’s among the best 154-pounders on the planet.

The Aussie wasn’t perfect. He got careless in the first round, when he went down from a straight right. He took a lot of hard shots overall. And his work might’ve been easier had he worked more behind his jab, which wasn’t a factor in the fight.

However, the good far outweighed the bad.

He bounced back immediately from the knockdown, demonstrating that adversity is no threat to him. He imposed his will on Gausha ferociously and effectively in spite of the incoming fire, which allowed him to control the fight and undoubtedly got the attention of potential opponents.

And he never doubted himself for a moment even though he was fighting outside his native country for the first time. He’s a special fighter and he knows it.

I don’t know how he’d fare against Jermell Charlo, a more-complete and more-powerful fighter than Gausha. The same for Brian Castano and Erickson Lubin, whose strengths are formidable.

However, I believe strongly that Tszyu (21-0, 15 KOs) has a combination of ability, strength and determination that would pose a challenge for any of the above.

It’s not fair to compare Tszyu to his famous father, Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu. To do that is to set him up for failure, at least at the moment. At the same time, I believe there’s a chance he could turn out to be the most successful son of a great fighter in the history of sport.

It will be fascinating to see how this story plays out.

 

BAD

Gausha (22-3-1, 11 KOs) is a good fighter, as he demonstrated once again on Saturday.

The 2012 U.S. Olympian put Tszyu down, survived some of his own harrowing moments and continued to fight his heart out until the bell to end the 12th and final round. As he said, “I hate losing but I went out like a champion.”

But now what?

Gausha is 2-3-1 in his last six fights, including clear, unanimous-decision losses against Erislandy Lara, Erickson Lubin and Tszyu, and a draw with Austin Trout. He’s 34 years old, an age when things typically begin to wind down.

How many more chances can he be given before the powers to be say, ‘It’s just not going to happen for him?” The number has to be small.

That said, the spirit with which he fought against Tszyu probably gives him hope that he’s not quite finished as a relevant fighter.

He was too passive much of the fight. And he spent too much time taking punches with his back against the ropes, the result of Tszyu’s constant pressure. He never stopped trying, though, never stopped looking for ways to hurt Tszyu even as he was taking a beating.

Fans appreciate that. They’ll probably want to see him again in an important fight.

As Tszyu said immediately after the fight: “All respect to my opponent, Terrell Gausha. He’s one hell of a warrior.”

 

WORSE

Miguel Berchelt insisted after his second consecutive knockout loss that he’d be back. That’s difficult to imagine.

Two fights ago the 30-year-old Mexican was a world titleholder and one of the most-feared punchers in the sport. Since then he has been knocked out twice, first by Oscar Valdez to lose his belt and then by Jeremiah Nakathila in his comeback fight Saturday.

In the latter bout he looked a deer in headlights, not a former champion who has been fighting professionally for more than a decade.

He appeared to be what one of the broadcasters called “gun shy,” meaning memories of the brutal 10th-round knockout loss to Valdez were dancing cruelly in his head. He was more concerned about avoiding a similar fate that doing what it would’ve taken to win the fight.

That’s a recipe for the disaster that played out, as he took a pounding. You can’t win with that mindset.

I was wondering while I watched in astonishment in the early rounds whether Berchelt would find his inner warrior and begin to throw back at Nakathila. He showed signs of doing so in Rounds 4 and 5, when had his most success.

It was too late, though. His legs were shaky and so was his confidence, even if his instincts did allow him to stand his ground for a bit. That set up a decisive Round 6, in which Nakathila (23-2, 19 KOs) landed at will and convinced the ring doctor that Berchelt had taken enough punishment.

Again, Berchelt (38-3, 34 KOs) said he’ll defeat whatever demons are haunting him. I wish him luck. It is going to take superhuman inner strength for him to regain what he had before the Valdez fight.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Josh Warrington demonstrated the proper way to emerge from a rut Saturday in Leeds, England, his hometown. He had been stopped and fought to a draw with Mauricio Lara in his previous two fights, which left his career as an top fighter in jeopardy. He responded by seizing the featherweight belt of Kiko Martinez (43-11-2, 30 KOs), who went down, suffered multiple cuts and ultimately couldn’t withstand Warrington’s relentless attack. The fight was stopped at 2:12 of Round 7, making Warrington (31-1-1, 8 KOs) a two-time world titleholder and allowing him to regain much of what he had lost against Lara. … Lightweight contender Michel Rivera (23-0, 14 KOs) jabbed his way to a one-sided decision over Joseph Adorno (14-1-2, 12 KOs) on the Tszyu-Gausha card, underscoring his reputation as a fine, polished boxer. The problem for him was that he relied almost solely on that punch. The Dominican is going to have to throw more power punches – ideally in combination – to succeed against next-level opponents. He’s still a work in progress. … Elvis Rodriguez (13-1-1, 12 KOs) looked like a legitimate junior welterweight contender on the Tszyu-Gausha card, beating up and then stopping Juan Velasco (23-3, 14 KOs) in the seventh round. The L.A.-based Dominican has now won two fights since he was upset Kenneth Sims Jr. in May of last year. … The judges scored the Tszyu-Gausha fight 116-111 (nine rounds to three), 115-112 (eight to four) and 114-113 (seven to five). I had it 117-110 for Tszyu, 10 rounds to two. The 114-113 card of Robert Hecko was too tight, in my opinion. Gausha gave a courageous performance but didn’t win five rounds. Tszyu clearly controlled the fight from the second round on, throwing and landing many more punches than Gausha.

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Jeremiah Nakathila pounds, stops Miguel Berchelt after six rounds

Jeremiah Nakathila dominated and then stopped Miguel Berchelt after six rounds Saturday in Las Vegas.

Miguel Berchelt evidently is ruined.

The former junior lightweight titleholder, who lost his belt by a brutal 10th-round knockout against Oscar Valdez 13 months ago, was stopped by Jeremiah Nakathila after six in a scheduled 10-round lightweight bout  Saturday in Las Vegas.

Berchelt’s performance would suggest that he hasn’t recovered emotionally from the setback against Valdez, which snapped a winning streak at 17.

The 30-year-old Mexican, with new trainer Jorge Capetillo in his corner, was skittish from the opening bell. It was if the once-feared warrior was afraid to get knocked out again, which apparently was why he fought defensively most of the fight.

Even so, he was unable to avoid to bomb after bomb delivered by his Namibian opponent, who stung Berchelt many times with his potent right hand.

Things got so bad that Berchelt went down from left jab in Round 3, an indication that his legs weren’t sturdy.

Then, in Round 4, Berchelt found some life. He took risks he didn’t take earlier in the fight and began to land some power punches and give himself a chance to turn things around.

He might even have won an entertaining Round 5, in which the fighters traded punches toe to toe.

However, any momentum he had built dissipated into the rafters of the arena at the new Resorts World Las Vegas, as Nakathila knocked Berchelt’s mouthpiece out of his mouth with a big right and continued to pound him.

That was enough for the ringside physician, who suggested after the round that referee Russell Mora end the fight. He did so, giving Berchelt (38-3, 34 KOs) a second consecutive setback that raises questions about his future.

He said he’ll be back.

“I’m going to get up, I’m going to rise from this,” he said. “The great champions are not the ones who fall. The great champions are those who rise, and I will go home, spend time with my family, visit with them, get some rest, and I am going to come back stronger than ever.”

Meanwhile, Nakathila (23-2, 19 KOs), only two fights removed from an embarrassing shutout loss against Shakur Stevenson, was ecstatic.

“From the first round, my corner told me to take my time,” he said. “I know what I have. I knew it would be difficult for him to reach the 10th round. It wasn’t so easy, but I made it look easy. He didn’t really bother me, the way he swung. I just got back to my game plan, and I capitalized.

“… “Luckily [he couldn’t continue]. I was going to knock him out or put him to sleep in a bad way. Luckily, he saw it coming and decided he couldn’t come back.”

Jeremiah Nakathila pounds, stops Miguel Berchelt after six rounds

Jeremiah Nakathila dominated and then stopped Miguel Berchelt after six rounds Saturday in Las Vegas.

Miguel Berchelt evidently is ruined.

The former junior lightweight titleholder, who lost his belt by a brutal 10th-round knockout against Oscar Valdez 13 months ago, was stopped by Jeremiah Nakathila after six in a scheduled 10-round lightweight bout  Saturday in Las Vegas.

Berchelt’s performance would suggest that he hasn’t recovered emotionally from the setback against Valdez, which snapped a winning streak at 17.

The 30-year-old Mexican, with new trainer Jorge Capetillo in his corner, was skittish from the opening bell. It was if the once-feared warrior was afraid to get knocked out again, which apparently was why he fought defensively most of the fight.

Even so, he was unable to avoid to bomb after bomb delivered by his Namibian opponent, who stung Berchelt many times with his potent right hand.

Things got so bad that Berchelt went down from left jab in Round 3, an indication that his legs weren’t sturdy.

Then, in Round 4, Berchelt found some life. He took risks he didn’t take earlier in the fight and began to land some power punches and give himself a chance to turn things around.

He might even have won an entertaining Round 5, in which the fighters traded punches toe to toe.

However, any momentum he had built dissipated into the rafters of the arena at the new Resorts World Las Vegas, as Nakathila knocked Berchelt’s mouthpiece out of his mouth with a big right and continued to pound him.

That was enough for the ringside physician, who suggested after the round that referee Russell Mora end the fight. He did so, giving Berchelt (38-3, 34 KOs) a second consecutive setback that raises questions about his future.

He said he’ll be back.

“I’m going to get up, I’m going to rise from this,” he said. “The great champions are not the ones who fall. The great champions are those who rise, and I will go home, spend time with my family, visit with them, get some rest, and I am going to come back stronger than ever.”

Meanwhile, Nakathila (23-2, 19 KOs), only two fights removed from an embarrassing shutout loss against Shakur Stevenson, was ecstatic.

“From the first round, my corner told me to take my time,” he said. “I know what I have. I knew it would be difficult for him to reach the 10th round. It wasn’t so easy, but I made it look easy. He didn’t really bother me, the way he swung. I just got back to my game plan, and I capitalized.

“… “Luckily [he couldn’t continue]. I was going to knock him out or put him to sleep in a bad way. Luckily, he saw it coming and decided he couldn’t come back.”

Miguel Berchelt, Jeremiah Nakathila make weight for Saturday’s fight

Miguel Berchelt and Jeremiah Nakathila on Friday made weight for Saturday’s fight in Las Vegas.

Miguel Berchelt and Jeremiah Nakathila on Friday made weight for their 10-round lightweight bout Saturday at Resorts World Las Vegas in Las Vegas (ESPN).

Berchelt came in at the 135-pound limit, Nakathila at 133.6.

Berchelt (38-2, 34 KOs) will be fighting for the first time since he lost his junior lightweight title to Oscar Valdez by a 10th-round knockout in February of last year.

Nakathila (22-2, 18 KOs) rebounded from a shutout loss to Shakur Stevenson to stop Ndodana Ncube in two rounds last October.

Miguel Berchelt, Jeremiah Nakathila make weight for Saturday’s fight

Miguel Berchelt and Jeremiah Nakathila on Friday made weight for Saturday’s fight in Las Vegas.

Miguel Berchelt and Jeremiah Nakathila on Friday made weight for their 10-round lightweight bout Saturday at Resorts World Las Vegas in Las Vegas (ESPN).

Berchelt came in at the 135-pound limit, Nakathila at 133.6.

Berchelt (38-2, 34 KOs) will be fighting for the first time since he lost his junior lightweight title to Oscar Valdez by a 10th-round knockout in February of last year.

Nakathila (22-2, 18 KOs) rebounded from a shutout loss to Shakur Stevenson to stop Ndodana Ncube in two rounds last October.

Miguel Berchelt vs. Jeremiah Nakathila: date, time, how to watch, background

Miguel Berchelt vs. Jeremiah Nakathila: date, time, how to watch, background.

FIGHT WEEK

Miguel Berchelt will fight Jeremiah Nakathila at 135 pounds Saturday in first fight since he lost his 130-pound title to Oscar Valdez.

Miguel Berchelt (38-2, 34 KOs) vs. Jeremiah Nakathila (22-2, 18 KOs)

  • Date: Saturday, March 26
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Resorts World Las Vegas, Las Vegas
  • TV/Stream: ESPN
  • Division: Lightweight (135 pounds)
  • Rounds: 12
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Jose Enrique Vivas vs. Enrique Baez, featherweights
  • Prediction: Berchelt KO 7
  • Background: The fighters have a combined 52 knockouts in their 60 victories, which means this matchup of sluggers isn’t likely to go the distance. Berchelt suffered a devastating loss to Oscar Valdez in February of last year, a one-sided fight in which he went down three times and was stopped in the 10th round. That cost him his 130-pound title, put an end to the considerable momentum he had built the past several years and raised questions about his limitations. The 30-year-old Mexican had stopped 16 of his previous 17 opponents, including Francisco Vargas (twice), Takashi Miura, Jonathan Victor Barros, Miguel Roman and Jason Sosa. Nakathila had his own momentum-crushing setback in June of last year, when he was outclassed and shut out over 12 rounds by the gifted Shakur Stevenson in his U.S. debut. The 32-year-old Namibian bounced back to stop Ndodana Ncube of Zimbabwe in two rounds four months later in his home country. Nakathila probably matches up better against a slugger like Berchelt than he did against the slick, athletic Stevenson.

Miguel Berchelt vs. Jeremiah Nakathila: date, time, how to watch, background

Miguel Berchelt vs. Jeremiah Nakathila: date, time, how to watch, background.

FIGHT WEEK

Miguel Berchelt will fight Jeremiah Nakathila at 135 pounds Saturday in first fight since he lost his 130-pound title to Oscar Valdez.

Miguel Berchelt (38-2, 34 KOs) vs. Jeremiah Nakathila (22-2, 18 KOs)

  • Date: Saturday, March 26
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Resorts World Las Vegas, Las Vegas
  • TV/Stream: ESPN
  • Division: Lightweight (135 pounds)
  • Rounds: 12
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Jose Enrique Vivas vs. Enrique Baez, featherweights
  • Prediction: Berchelt KO 7
  • Background: The fighters have a combined 52 knockouts in their 60 victories, which means this matchup of sluggers isn’t likely to go the distance. Berchelt suffered a devastating loss to Oscar Valdez in February of last year, a one-sided fight in which he went down three times and was stopped in the 10th round. That cost him his 130-pound title, put an end to the considerable momentum he had built the past several years and raised questions about his limitations. The 30-year-old Mexican had stopped 16 of his previous 17 opponents, including Francisco Vargas (twice), Takashi Miura, Jonathan Victor Barros, Miguel Roman and Jason Sosa. Nakathila had his own momentum-crushing setback in June of last year, when he was outclassed and shut out over 12 rounds by the gifted Shakur Stevenson in his U.S. debut. The 32-year-old Namibian bounced back to stop Ndodana Ncube of Zimbabwe in two rounds four months later in his home country. Nakathila probably matches up better against a slugger like Berchelt than he did against the slick, athletic Stevenson.

Miguel Berchelt begins anew against Jeremiah Nakathila

Miguel Berchelt will begin his comeback against Jeremiah Nakathila on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Miguel Berchelt was a major 130-pound titleholder and one of the most-feared sluggers going into his last fight. Now the Mexican is starting over at 30.

That’s the result of Oscar Valdez’s demolition of his countryman, who went down three times and was stopped in 10 one-sided rounds early last year in “The Bubble” at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

After the disaster, Berchelt went up to 135, moved to Las Vegas to work with a new trainer (Jorge Capetillo) and has focused on the future.

He’ll face Jeremiah Nakathila of Namibia in his first lightweight bout Saturday at Resorts World Las Vegas (DAZN).

“This will be a great comeback,” Berchelt said. “I am very happy and excited to be the first athlete to bring a sporting event to Resorts World Las Vegas. I am ready to make my debut at 135 pounds against a great opponent like Jeremiah Nakathila.

“I’m going to put on a spectacular show for my people, and I’m sending a message to the lightweight division: They must contend with me.”

Well, that remains to be seen. The division is still stacked with the likes of George Kambosos Jr., Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia and Vasiliy Lomachenko.

Berchelt (38-2, 34 KOs) obviously still believes in himself. And why not? He had won his previous 17 fights going into the Valdez bout, 16 by knockout. And he wasn’t beating bums. Among his victims: Cristobal Cruz, Francisco Vargas (twice), Takashi Miura and Jonathan Victor Barros.

Indeed, he had known nothing but great success for seven years.

That doesn’t mean a fresh start won’t be helpful after a major disappointment, though. He evidently is convinced a change of scenery will be good for him.

“The experience of changing my training camp to Las Vegas with coach Jorge Capetillo has been very good,” he said. “In this city, there are many champions, and I think that God brought me here for a reason. There are many styles of sparring partners, which I was not able to find in Mexico. It has also been a great experience to run up Mount Charleston.

“I think all these changes are for the best, and we are ready to return to the ring with a big win.”

And he hopes the fight against Nakathila (22-2, 18 KOs) will be the first step toward regaining the status he lost against Valdez.

“My goal is to become world champion at lightweight,” he said. “It will not be easy because I know that at 135 pounds there are a lot of great fighters. Most importantly, I have the desire and the potential to be crowned once again as world champion.”

Miguel Berchelt begins anew against Jeremiah Nakathila

Miguel Berchelt will begin his comeback against Jeremiah Nakathila on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Miguel Berchelt was a major 130-pound titleholder and one of the most-feared sluggers going into his last fight. Now the Mexican is starting over at 30.

That’s the result of Oscar Valdez’s demolition of his countryman, who went down three times and was stopped in 10 one-sided rounds early last year in “The Bubble” at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

After the disaster, Berchelt went up to 135, moved to Las Vegas to work with a new trainer (Jorge Capetillo) and has focused on the future.

He’ll face Jeremiah Nakathila of Namibia in his first lightweight bout Saturday at Resorts World Las Vegas (DAZN).

“This will be a great comeback,” Berchelt said. “I am very happy and excited to be the first athlete to bring a sporting event to Resorts World Las Vegas. I am ready to make my debut at 135 pounds against a great opponent like Jeremiah Nakathila.

“I’m going to put on a spectacular show for my people, and I’m sending a message to the lightweight division: They must contend with me.”

Well, that remains to be seen. The division is still stacked with the likes of George Kambosos Jr., Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia and Vasiliy Lomachenko.

Berchelt (38-2, 34 KOs) obviously still believes in himself. And why not? He had won his previous 17 fights going into the Valdez bout, 16 by knockout. And he wasn’t beating bums. Among his victims: Cristobal Cruz, Francisco Vargas (twice), Takashi Miura and Jonathan Victor Barros.

Indeed, he had known nothing but great success for seven years.

That doesn’t mean a fresh start won’t be helpful after a major disappointment, though. He evidently is convinced a change of scenery will be good for him.

“The experience of changing my training camp to Las Vegas with coach Jorge Capetillo has been very good,” he said. “In this city, there are many champions, and I think that God brought me here for a reason. There are many styles of sparring partners, which I was not able to find in Mexico. It has also been a great experience to run up Mount Charleston.

“I think all these changes are for the best, and we are ready to return to the ring with a big win.”

And he hopes the fight against Nakathila (22-2, 18 KOs) will be the first step toward regaining the status he lost against Valdez.

“My goal is to become world champion at lightweight,” he said. “It will not be easy because I know that at 135 pounds there are a lot of great fighters. Most importantly, I have the desire and the potential to be crowned once again as world champion.”