Edwin Valero, 24-0, 24 KO?s, is an unknown quantity. While his hard numbers factor kindly into the equation of a great fighter, Valero still has not shown the sort of performances that disarm criticisms and create certainty in the mind of the average viewer or pundit. His colossal punching power overwhelms almost all competitors, but Valero has never fought the sort of talent that would produce a real victory in terms of Hall of Fame or even super star credentials.
There are three burning questions about the great punching power and talent of Edwin Valero:
Is he as ferocious as everyone says he is?
Valero?s vicious attack, when unleashed, is like a Mack truck with legs. Valero is the most prolific Pound for Pound hitter in the sport today. He nearly eats people alive when he knows that the fight is coming to a close. Valero has finished with a flourish in every fight. His perfect record comes equipped with a 100% KO Ratio.
As for the nature of knockouts, he has some real highlight reel shots on his resume. In his first professional fight, Valero crumpled Eduardo Hernandez with a speedy onslaught. Valero obliterated Genaro Trazcanos by stumbling him with a hard shot to the body and taking Trazcanos down with a two punch combination as he took a knee. He sent Aram Rasmyan into the next universe. He crumpled Michael Lozada in a little over a minute.
In other words, Valero undoubtedly carries wrecking balls at the ends of his arms. He seems almost like a force of nature at times when he is in the ring. Then again, that might just be a comparison created by the recent wave of hurricanes.
Interestingly enough, this power has grown over time. Valero?s supposed recorded amateur record is 86-6, 57 KO?s. While those numbers display plenty of pop, they fail to match anything near the ratio that he currently holds as a pro. Valero has been through a motorcycle accident, gym wars, and twenty four knockouts. His fiery fist work is tough enough to take out even the best.
Is he as good as everyone says he is?
Valero?s best victories have come against B-List fighters at best, including Vicente Mosquera, Nobuhito Honmo and Takehiro Shimada. These fighters all have something to hang their hats on. Mosquera has defeated veterans and undefeated in his career, and he carries a granite chin. Clearly, his defense needs work, but Mosquera has so far provided Valero with his biggest test.
Although he was dropped twice, trailed badly on the scorecards throughout and suffered a stoppage to end the fight, Mosquera was able to take Valero ten rounds and drop him once. Valero is the only man that has ever taken him out. On the other hand, Valero likely ended Mosquera?s career with that fight.
Honmo lasted the second longest time that any other man has ever lasted against Valero, dueling out eight rounds against ?Dinamita? in May of last year. Valero was unable to fully dispatch Honmo with a major knockout blow. Instead, Honmo was forced out of the equation by the development of a bloody eye from consistent damage.
Granted, the beginning of this article has portrayed Valero as a man with plenty of stone in both hands. The problem is that power is only part of a fighter?s offense, and offense is only half of boxing. Valero comes forward with his hands so low that any fighter with the slightest bit of pop can time him and put him down and out. If he tries that hands down stuff in America, expect Valero to wind up in a world of hurt and/or on the ground.
Furthermore, Valero is lacking in head movement. He stands like a pierce of Stonehenge, allowing hard missiles to bounce from his head like rubber Nunchucks, then counters with his own nuclear punches. That sort of plan is defendable against the likes of a journeyman, but his chances against the tougher fighters in the world decrease severely.
Is he ready for Manny Pacquiao?
There are several parts to this question. First of all, Valero is definitely prepared to fight Pacquiao commercially. His name has grown large enough to occasionally cover the front page of Yahoo Sports. Boxing fans know all about him. The fair-weather fan will appreciate and remember his action packed style.
He is also the most mysterious of the up and coming fighters out there right now. While boxing has performed well lately in terms of attention and commercial gain, the exit of Floyd Mayweather has left a large hole that needs to be filled with a collection of star power. There is no match when the recognized best fighter on the planet steps out of view. The only way to make up for that loss when it comes to dollars and cents is to provide the fans with a juicy new face to watch. Joe Calzaghe, Manny Pacquiao, Kelly Pavlik and Miguel Cotto are all a good start. Valero is a good addition to that group, as he brings more excitement than ninety percent of fighters worldwide.
The naysayers have compared Valero to the likes of super middleweight Victor Oganov, who was 26-0 before eating a hard knockout from Fulgencio Zuniga. Valero may very well find himself down against a tough fighter that can exploit weaknesses such as sloppy defense. However, he is far from Victor Oganov so far was a journeyman named Sam Reese. Valero has already defeated at least five fighters that are better than Zuniga.
If and when Valero finally defeats some real fighters, his name and talent will be held high above much of the super featherweight division. Should he ever reach that point, he will deserve a shot at Pacquiao.
As of now, a scrap between the two is far from fair. Manny Pacquiao has defeated a who?s who of powerful Mexican fighters in the Super Featherweight-Lightweight territory. His resume is absolutely epic. If Valero came at Pacquiao with his hands down, Pacquiao would slam him face first into the dirt with a simple side step. There are likely a few other elite fighters that would do the same.
This potential match up, commonly clamored for by the average fight fan, is more about the future than it is about the present. While Valero has growing to do as a fighter, he stands the fiercest looking man in his weight division and the closest product to a resurgence of Mike Tyson.
