ANDRES GUTIERREZ came in a whopping 11lbs over the agreed weight limit for his fight with Oscar Valdez, which was due to take place tomorrow (Saturday November 30) at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.

Mexico’s Valdez vacated his WBO featherweight title to move up to super-feather. Gutierrez though weighed in at an astonishing 141lbs, two divisions too big. Valdez will still fight on Saturday, with Adam Lopez (126lbs), who was due to box on the undercard, stepping in as his new opponent.

“I trained hard for three months making the sacrifices and I am very upset with Andres Gutierrez,” Valdez said. “He was unprofessional. As soon as I heard 141 pounds, I still wanted to fight him but my team and Bob Arum said Gutierrez was out. I give credit to Adam Lopez for stepping up. It will be a great fight tomorrow night.”

“It was surreal when I got the offer to fight Oscar,” Lopez said. “I’ve known Oscar for a long time and I’ve wanted this fight for a long time. I’m ready for it.

“Deep down, I’ll take anyone. Ultimately, I left it up to my trainer [Buddy McGirt] and he gave the fight his blessing.”

Curiously Gutierrez had once been due to face Carl Frampton in Belfast, only for an extraordinary fall in the shower to injure him and rule him out of that fight at the last possible moment.

Frampton himself experienced a bizarre injury setback earlier this year, when shortly before he was due to fight in Philadelphia an ornament fell on him and injured his hand, ruling him out of that contest. He is now back and also boxing on this bill in Las Vegas. The former two-weight world champion has moved up for his first bout at super-feather. He tipped the scales at 128lbs on Friday’s weigh-in. His taller opponent Tyler McCreary was 127.5lbs.  

“By the time the fight comes around, it will be [nearly] a year since I’ve been in the ring,” Frampton said. “McCreary is a good, hungry, young, undefeated kid, and this is his big chance. If he beats me, I’m pretty sure in his next fight he’ll fight for a world title. It’s not going to happen. I’ve prepared very hard for this fight. I’ve prepared like I’m an underdog, and I am going in to put on a show. To be honest I want to win this fight but I want to knock this kid out.”

“I’ve had some huge fights in my career. No matter who the opponent is, it’s always going to be the biggest fight because of the situation I’m in now. It’s a must-win. I have to win this fight to fight a champion in my next fight. I want to fight for a world title in my next fight, so I must beat Tyler McCreary,” he continued.

“The plan is to become a three-weight world champion. That’s my goal. Ireland has a rich history in boxing champions. We’ve produced so many great fighters — and we’re still doing it — but to be the guy on top and be the first and only guy to win three titles in three different divisions, it would mean the world to me. I want nothing more than my kids to be proud of me and say that their dad is a three-weight world champion.”