VALERO TKO'S FOE IN FIRST ROUND!
By Salven L. Lagumbay
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 03 Jan 2007
WBA superfeatherweight champion Edwin Valero proved once again that he belongs to the most elite of the game, stopping yesterday Mexican challenger Michael Lozada in the first round of a scheduled 12-rounder in his first titular defense at the Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo, Japan.
Valero, who is being groomed to be the next opponent for Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao on April 28, beat Lozada with a technical knockout in the opening round for the sensational win.
Valero improved to 21-0, including 20 knockouts - with his first 18 bouts finished in the opening round. Lozada fell to 29-4-2 with 10 knockouts.
With the Pacquiao-Marco Antonio Barrera bout now all but scrapped, Valero remains a hot front-runner to be the next opponent for Pacquiao, although his Japanese handler Akihiko Honda had revealed earlier that his ward is not yet ready for Pacquiao in 2007.
Honda cited that his ward needs two or three more bouts before possibly facing the fire-breathing Filipino, although Valero, in a separate interview with leading boxing website Boxingconfidential.com, hinted that he might be prepared for a Pacquiao battle in the latter part of 2007 or early 2008.
"I really want to fight Pacquiao before he retires," said the humble Venezuelan in the interview.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who claims to be the Filipino fighter's promoter, said that Valero is one of the names being floated as possible April 28 foe for Pacquiao, although Mexican Humberto Soto and IBF champion Malcolm Klassen are also being considered.
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