COPENHAGEN– I was going to compose a column, the top part of which was going to be my fistic fantasy that the heavyweight division was half as enthralling as the 130-pounders who include Edwin Valero, Juan Manuel Marquez, Joan Guzman, Manny Pacquaio, Marco Antonio Barrera and emerging Humberto Soto.
Then I got some news which is bad for those of us who consider, and rightly so, the junior lightweights to be boxing?s premier division.
I have learned that Venezuelan KO artist Edwin Valero (I had him pegged as a Yank-Me fan before I saw this photo) will move up to 135 pounds immediately after his May 3 title defense in Tokyo against 29-4-2 Nobuhito Honmo. Valero, the 25-year-old lefty and WBA super featherweight champion, owns a 21-0, all by knockout record. Valero is promoted by the Honorable Honda-San, meaning Akihiko Honda of Japan’s top promotional firm, Teiken.
Honmo is unlikely to disturb Valero’s record but I hope that his upcoming shift to the lightweight division does not KO our chances of seeing Valero mix it up between the ropes with some of the other man-monsters presently fighting at 130 pounds.
A more persistent problem for Valero is the fact that, back when he was promoted by Golden Boy, Valero failed a New York commission head test, supposedly due to a youthful motorcycle accident and resulting injury. So getting Valero licensed in the US is problematic. But I do know some of the big names at junior lightweight would travel to Japan to fight “El Inca.”
“Hell, yeah,” Guzman manager Jose Nunez said, “we would go to Japan for the right amount of money. We would do that knowing we had suitable, netural officials appointed for such a fight. But Japan is Valero’s home now so we need to get proper compesation. Joan would love to match his skills with Valero.”
Attention Golden Boy and co-promoter Sycuan, please note above. And what about Pacman, who I have to think would kick up a box-office and television storm, if he went to Tokyo or another big city in Japan to fight.
I did not speak to Top Rank titan Bob Arum about this but, based on his long and friendly relationship with Honda-San (who has an office in Las Vegas) and based on Arum’s historical tendency to go where the biggest amount of money is, I’d have to say Pacman to Japan is easily done, again for the proper amount of compensation. I would also think that a Pacman-Valero showdown would be a major bonanza whether it was held in Tokyo or in Macau, where Arum’s casino pal Steve Wynn, stands everready to host a Pacquaio event.
So, on May 4, we bid a fond farewell to Valero from the 130-pound matrix. But we hope and pray, that being only five little pounds apart, won’t keep Valero from his true destiny which is battling Pacman, Guzman, JM Marquez, MAB, Soto or all of the above.
Over to you, Honda-San!
