|
Philippines, 02 Jun 2025 |
Home >> News |  |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
Rated F for Manny Pacquiao fans, monster Edwin Valero is on the loose By Michael Marley PhilBoxing.com Thu, 19 Mar 2009 RATED F: Meaning ?Frightening? for Manny Pacquiao fans and admirers in the Philippines and the world over. Proceed with caution!) He was a disciplined, career Army man besides coaching the U.S. Olympic boxing team. But nothing in 68-year-old Coach Ken Adams? life has prepared him for the experience he had in training undefeated Venzuelan slugger and free sprit, Edwin Valero. I say ?had? because Valero abandoned the Las Vegas-based trainer several weeks ago, about a month before a world title bout April 4 against Antonio Pitalua in Austin. Adams can now readily identify with Dr. Frankenstein of legend and lore. As you may recall, it was Dr. Frankenstein who assembled the menacing monster who bore his family name. When the monster bolted Dr. F?s Gothic castle and laboratory, all the Good Doctor could do was to run to and fro, trying to warn the unaware men, women and children who lived nearby that havoc and destruction was looming. I compare the literary figure and the boxing trainer because, even though the wild but heavy punching Valero, voted with his feet and not showing up to a daily session at the Top Rank Gym, Adams only speaks in superlatives about his ex-charge. ?Manny Pacquiao, as great as he is, would only go two to three rounds with Valero,? Adams told Boxingconfidential.com. ?The fighter left me after 13 months so I guess the love affair was over between us but?I?ve had conversation with his new manager asnd things are cool. ?I like the kid. It was like a mutual parting but he definitely wanted to roll out and he did just that.? Valero and Adams had a continuing disagreement about the intensity and form of the fighter?s workouts. Far from shirking training, Adams said the fighter?s only bad habit is overdoing his gym work, especially sparring to excess. But, even under new trainer and Oscar De La Hoya reject Robert Alcazar or anyone else, Adams thinks it?s inevitable that Valero will send the Coach Freddie Roach-trained Pacman into celestial orbit. ?Amen, amen to that, brother,? Adams said without sounding preachy. ?Edwin is too fast for Manny. Edwin is so much quicker than Pacman it?s not funny. He is more agile and he definitely punches harder. Valero and Pacman will be an all-soutpaw matchup, if it occurs, but Adams thinks physical strength is the overriding difference between the Pinoy and Venezuelan who used to live and train in Japan. ?The kid is so headstrong that we had a difference of opinion on how he trained and we couldn?t work it out. I?ll give you an idea of his regiment. Edwin would do 10 rounds on the mitts. Then he?d do eight or nine rounds shadowboxing. Then it would five, six or seven rounds on the heavy bag. Then came 400 pushups and 400 situps. ?Edwin would go like this day after day. It was the same with sparring. If anything, his training routine is excessive. I kept telling him, ?You are going to burn youself out!?? Still, Adams believes Valero?s nonstop offensive fusillades will overcome many deficiencies, either from overtaining or a porous defense. ?All I wanted was some moderation with his routine. But I couldn?t dictate to him and I didn?t try to. I think my teaching experience allowed me to improve his defense, I really do. But it?s his offense that it so good. It?s like the old saying, the best defense is a good offense. Edwin has a great offense.? Adams tipped that Valero?s right hook, coming from the southpaw stance, might be the undoing of rugged Colombian Pitalua. ?We worked a lot on that, the hook,? Adams said. ?When Edwin buckled down to work here, we emphasized that for this particular fight.? Let?s be clear on one thing here. Adams is no Pacbasher, no enemy of the Pinoy idol and he does not badmouth Coach Roach unlike an unpublished poet named Mayweather Sr. Adams just sincerely believes a full-scale Valero will be too much for anyone, not only Pacman but high-riding Juan Manuel Marquez as well. ?Oh, yeah,? Adams said. ?Juan Manuel, he?d get knocked out too by Valero, no doubt. I see no one out there right now who can handle Edwin?s strength and firepower.? As for his situation, sing no blues songs for old Coach Adams. His new prot?g? is the huge natural talent Jorge Linares, so a budding superstar may have replaced Valero on the trainer?s daily schedule. ?I?ve got Jorge working a bit more in my style because he can box and punch. It?s different than with Valero in that sense,? Adams said. ?But Jorge is an awesome talent in his own right.? Adams is one of those ?life is not a dress rehearsal? kind of guys. ?No regrets about Edwin leaving because I didn?t need the aggravation and it was his choice. I?m OK with it. I will always have clients if I want them.? Now his boxing duties are directed at young lion Linares. And Adams can sleep comfortably as well after having done his civic duty just like Dr. Frankenstein did. The populace, especially those who reside in Pacland, have been warned. There?s a possible Pacman-eating monster on the loose. And his name is Edwin Valero. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Michael Marley.  |
|
|
PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general. Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com |
PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
developed and maintained by dong secuya © 2025 philboxing.com. |
