Feeling robbed in his last fight in Arizona, Australian boxer Liam Wilson is happy to return to the scene of the crime as he seeks another crack at a world title.
Wilson will be back at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale on March 30 (AEDT) taking on Oscar Valdez, with the fight coming just over a year after his controversial loss to another Mexican champion Emanuel Navarrete at the same venue.
Wilson is part of an Aussie take-over in the US, with Tim Tszyu fighting 24 hours later in Las Vegas, looking to add the WBC super-welterweight belt to his WBO strap with victory over Sebastian Fundora.
Victorian Michael Zerafa faces another American in Erislandy Lara for the WBA middleweight world title on the same card.
Wilson floored Navarrete in the fourth round of their WBO super featherweight title showdown but the three-division Mexican superstar was able to recover due to a 27-second count and then stopped the Queenslander in the ninth.
Wilson said he had carried no mental demons about returning to Arizona despite the outcome and also suspicion that the Navarrete weigh-in wasn't accurate.
"No, I've put it all behind me and I'm excited to fight back there," 28-year-old Wilson told AAP.
"I was pretty raw and inexperienced in that fight but a year has gone by and I've had two good fights back in Australia and done plenty of rounds.
"I wouldn't want it any other way - I want to right my wrongs, re-write my own history there and I'm confident I'm going to leave that place with my hand raised."
Wilson shifted his preparation to base himself in Las Vegas four weeks ago and said training couldn't have gone better.
"It's gone really well, just being away from home I can purely focus on training," he said.
"I'm in a great place - I feel in the shape of my life, I feel very fit and very strong."
Navarrete is set to move up to lightweight to pursue his fourth division title and while it's still to be signed off, a win over Valdez could see Wilson become the WBO interim champion with the possibility of being elevated to recognised champion if Navarrete decides not to return to the division.
Valdez (31-2, 23KOs) also suffered a points loss against Navarrete in Arizona last August.
Wilson (13-2, 13KOs) is expecting a desperate opponent with time ticking on the 33-year-old's career.
"I think we have something to prove - he wants to prove he's still up there with the best and he wants to be a world champion again, like he was a few years ago, and obviously I want to be crowned world champion," said Wilson.
"He's standing in the way of that."
