Venezuelan knockout artist Edwin Valero wants a crack at world pound-for-pound champion Manny ?PacMan? Pacquiao, his stable mate at Top Rank Promotions.
Valero, 27, won the World Boxing Council lightweight title vacated by Pacquiao with a second round technical knockout over Antonio Pitalua on April 4, scoring his 25th straight knockout victory in as many fights.
?My fight with Manny Pacquiao is signed. It was one of the conditions that I gave to my manager, Jose Castillo, for me to sign with Bob Arum,? Valero said. ?This is something that he has not been revealed to the press because the fight is not mandatory, in case Pacquiao retires. But that is the only way to avoid the fight, if he leaves boxing. So I am relaxed and working to build my name for my opportunity.?
Valero said Pacquiao verbally told him sometime in January that the Filipino boxing icon would fight him. That was during a visit to the Philippines by Valero as guest of the Filipino icon.
The hard-punching Venezuelan, who has stopped most of his opponents in the first round, said he is willing to fight anybody, including Pacquiao?s archrival Juan Manuel Marquez to earn a crack at PacMan.
?If Pacquiao gives me the opportunity, I would consider moving up and fight him. No man can take my punch,? Valero said after beating Pitulua in Houston, Texas.
Valero said he understands if Pacquiao?s next big fight would be against the winner of the Floyd Mayweather Jr.- Marquez July 18 encounter at the MGM Grand Arena.
The Venezuelan slugger is scheduled to fight on July 25 in Mexico against Breidis Prescott, another knockout artist who stopped British lightweight standout Amir Khan in the first round of their September 6 fight in Britain.
However, Valero was reported to prefer taking on either former lightweight champion Joel Casamayor of Cuba or Mexican American Juan Diaz of Texas.
Boxing pundits said Pacquiao-Valero would be a classic encounter between two of the hardest punchers that boxing fans would love to watch.
Both fighters are deemed a good match: they are about the same height and weight, they love to trade punches and both are known for their explosive powers in both hands.
Both southpaws, Pacquiao and Valero are known to throw flurries at a blinding speed that confound their opponents.
Valero said he has tremendous respect for ?the monster from the Philippines,? but said he is not scared of Pacquiao and promised to give him a good fight, if given a chance.
