EDWIN VALERO, THE OTHER ?DINAMITA?
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 13 Jan 2008
Juan Manuel ?Dinamita? Marquez will be facing Manny Pacquiao this coming March 15. But another boxer a.k.a. ?Dinamita? is luring in the sidelines to challenge PacMan. He is the undefeated Edwin Valero. His professional boxing record is 23-0 (23 KOs), and 19 of these knockouts occurred in the first round. Valero is the current WBA super featherweight champion.
After the rematch with Pacquiao, Barrera was interrogated by a reporter who he thought could beat Pacquiao. His reply was Valero. The Venezuelan then posed a challenge to Pacquiao. It was not the first public challenge he has made to the Pinoy sports hero. In January 2007 after defeating Michael Lozada in more than just a minute, Valero made an open confrontation to Pacquiao.
To writers and fans, a Pacquiao-Valero match-up is fascinating, after Pacquiao?s rematch with Marquez. But Valero?s obscurity in the US boxing scene is the main reason Team Pacquiao has eluded an encounter: Valero does not have the established name to entice enough pay-per-view buys to make the promotions more financially feasible.
On February 5, 2001, Valero encountered a relentless motorcycle accident. He wasn't wearing a helmet that time resulting in a fractured skull and had a surgery to remove a blood clot. This hounding injury before his pro debut has created obstructions to major bodies sanctioning his fights. Valero argued that his Venezuelan doctor cleared him to fight on January 17, 2002, and he turned on July that year.
Valero appeared to go for the big time when he was signed after his 12th pro fight by Golden Boy Promotions. Valero was scheduled to appear on HBO's Boxing After Dark, but in January 2004, he failed an MRI due to brain scan irregularities in New York and thus was not issued a license to fight in the United States. As a result, the fight did not take place.
Golden Boy tried to insist to continue with the fight. He was sent to the top specialists in California, but the New York Commission refused to accept any new findings. ?No doctor has ever confirmed I have any kind of injury that forbids me from fighting in the United States,? said Valero, 26.
Prohibited to fight in this country, he was forced to fight in other countries. But his big dream is to be able to show his wares in the United States. He almost quit but he did not falter. Although he continues to fight outside the United States, he will not be allowed to fight in that country until he clears his medical tests with a state athletic commission.
With Valero's extraordinary achievements, many fans believe he and Pacquiao would be an excellent match. The part Incan Indian now is based in the Teiken Gym in Japan and interested promoters are looking the possibility of hosting the fight either in Manila, Tokyo, or Macau.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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