27 Fights, 27 wins, 27 Knockouts.
'El Inca', 'El Dinamita', 'El Diablito'... all fitting monikers for the one of the greatest 'what could have beens' in history. The ferocious lightweight is the greatest Venezuelan boxer to ever live. Nobody in the history of that division had ever finished every single opponent they had encountered, even the mythic Manny Pacquiao!
A bout between Pacquiao and Valero would have been absolute fireworks, and maybe one of the best of all time.
Valero's technique wasn't perfect, but he threw a jab like a straight cross and anyplace he'd hit you was getting crushed under tremendous force.
He was a lanky, skinny guy almost in the vein of 'The Hitman' Thomas Hearns, but Hearns was a much more technical and much less durable version of Valero who not only throw the kitchen sink at you.. but was able to eat through glass if it landed.
Nobody had true Incan spirit and Aztec heart like that of Valero. With a start in 2002, he'd only had 8 years to hone his craft and power before beginning to attain bigger fights against higher ranked opponents.
Before his untimely death in 2010, he had fought Antonio Demarco.
Demarco was a true veteran of over 20 fights at their bout arrangement, and he would go on to knockout future lightweight king in Jorge Linares.. the man who just fought 10 hard rounds and even knocked down Vasyl Lomachenko (the world's pound for pound #1 boxer).
Valero stays on my mind a lot. I always think in both boxing and mma what would have happened with slightly different routes for different fighters.
Some styles make fights and break men, but Valero seemed to handle any type of opponent with pure fire and aggression. Here is his 2009 fight of the year against Hector Vealsquez... this is one of the craziest brawls you may ever see!
If you want to see what an Aztec Warrior in the modern day looked like, just watch any fight with Edwin Valero.
I don't need to go into the circumstances of his death as there is still a shroud of mystery as to what exactly happened. I choose not to remember some things about a man when he is gone, so I will remember for the motivation he's given me.
Espiritu de Guerrero. Descansar en paz.
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