Edwin Valero
Edwin Valero | |
---|---|
Born | Bolero Alto, Mérida, Venezuela | December 3, 1981
Died | April 19, 2010 Valencia, Carabobo, Venezuela | (aged 28)
Nationality | Venezuelan |
Other names |
|
Statistics | |
Weight(s) | |
Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) |
Reach | 69 in (175 cm) |
Stance | Southpaw |
Boxing record | |
Total fights | 27 |
Wins | 27 |
Wins by KO | 27 |
Losses | 0 |
Edwin Valero (December 3, 1981 – April 19, 2010) was a Venezuelan professional boxer who competed from 2002 to 2010. He was an undefeated two-weight world champion at the time of his death, having held the WBA super featherweight title from 2006 to 2008, and the WBC lightweight title from 2009 to 2010. A southpaw known for his highly aggressive style and exceptional punching power, Valero remains the only champion in the 30-year history of the WBC to have won every fight in his career by knockout. In 2010, Valero committed suicide in jail after being arrested on suspicion of killing his wife.
Amateur career
Valero started boxing at the age of 12, ostensibly compiling an amateur record of 86–6 with 57 knockouts. He was a Venezuelan national amateur champion three years running, as well as a Central and South American champion (beating Francisco Bojado).[2][3]
Professional career
On February 25, 2006, Valero set a new world record by winning his first 18 fights as a professional by first-round knockout, breaking Arthur Susskind's historic record set in 1905. That record has since been broken by Tyrone Brunson, but most boxing experts do not acknowledge Brunson's claim due to the extremely poor level of opposition he faced while making his way to the record; in contrast to Valero's opponents, just one of Brunson's 19 opponents had a winning record, and 6 had failed to win a single fight in their careers.[4]
Because of his punching power and perfect knockout ratio, Valero became a cult sensation in the community.[who?] His biggest backers in the sport included Doug Fischer of The Ring magazine (who, on the former boxing website he used to write for, Maxboxing.com, regularly covered Valero in his articles for the website which also aired videos of his workouts and sparring sessions) and Boxing Inside with journalist Peter Palmiere. The Los Angeles local cable show also aired Valero's workouts, sparring sessions and interviews conducted by Palmiere.
In his first attempt at a world title, on August 5, 2006, Valero faced WBA super featherweight champion Vicente Mosquera. In what would arguably prove to be both boxers' toughest contest, Valero started out the match in signature fashion, knocking down the champion twice in the first round. However, Mosquera recovered and in the third round responded by knocking Valero down, which was to be Valero's only knockdown in his career.[5] At this point in his 19–0 career, Valero's longest fight had only been two rounds,[6] and the question remained as to whether the untested Valero had the stamina to go the distance. The answer came after ten grueling rounds when the ever-tenacious Mosquera finally started to wane under the challenger's continuous heavy-handed counters. Deciding Mosquera had received enough punishment, the referee called a halt to the match at 2:00 of round ten, making the 24-year-old Valero champion. Valero would go on to successfully defend the title four times before moving up in weight class, with his final defense a seventh-round stoppage over Takehiro Shimada in Tokyo on June 12, 2008.
On September 3, 2008, Valero vacated his WBA title to fight in the lightweight division.[7] He fought Antonio Pitalua for the vacant WBC lightweight title on April 4, 2009 in Austin, Texas. The bout marked the first time Valero had fought in the United States since 2003. Pitalua came in to the fight with 14 consecutive knockouts on his 46–3 record, and with Valero's 24 consecutive knockouts, the stage was set for a decisive match between two heavy hitters. After an uneventful first round, Valero knocked Pitalua down just seconds into the second round with a right hook. Pitalua managed to get up, but suffered two more knockdowns before the referee stopped the fight at 0:49 of round two.[8][9]
Valero's next fight came on his home turf of Venezuela, in La Guaira, where he successfully defended his WBC lightweight title by a TKO victory over Hector Velasquez in the seventh round. Valero's second and final defense of the belt came against Antonio DeMarco in Mexico, on February 6, 2010. In the second round, Valero suffered a serious cut over his right eye after DeMarco landed an unintentional elbow.[10] Valero was able to continue the fight and went on to win by corner retirement when DeMarco failed to answer the bell for the tenth round. This would be Valero's last match. In March 2010, Valero vacated his WBC title in order to compete in the light welterweight division.[11] Valero's professional record at the time of his death was 27–0, making him one of the few world champions to finish their careers undefeated.
Career roadblocks
On February 5, 2001, Valero was involved in a severe motorcycle accident in which he wasn't wearing a helmet. He fractured his skull and had surgery to remove a blood clot. This injury was sustained prior to him launching his pro career, and it created roadblocks to major bodies sanctioning his fights. Valero claimed that his doctor cleared him to fight on January 17, 2002, and he turned pro that July with a first-round KO.
Valero appeared to hit the jackpot 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 allowed to fight in the United States. As a result, the fight did not take place. He continued to fight outside the US and on March 25, 2008, Valero was cleared to box in the state of Texas.[12]
Allegations of assault
It was reported on September 27, 2009, that Edwin Valero had been arrested on assault charges. A man alleged that the boxer attacked his mother and sister over a feud.[13] Valero denied the allegations and considered them an attempt to harm his reputation. His mother came forward to tell the media that no foul play was involved.
On March 25, 2010, Valero was again accused of assault, this time by his wife, who was sent to hospital for bruises and a damaged lung.[14] Valero denied any wrongdoing, stating his wife stumbled from a stairway but investigators doubted him.[15] His wife later told authorities that her injuries were caused by an accident on some stairs, despite the fact that she had been treated for similar injuries twice before at the hospital.[16] Because of the vicious personality he showed at the hospital where his wife was treated, Valero was sent for six months of psychiatric rehabilitation.[17]
Murder charges and suicide
On April 18, 2010, Valero was arrested after police found the body of his 24-year-old wife, Carolina, in a hotel in the city of Valencia, Carabobo.[18][19] Valero was considered a suspect and was taken to jail.[20] Valero allegedly admitted to hotel security and police that he had murdered his wife.[21] The following day he was found hanging in his prison cell, by his pants. He was pronounced legally dead, at 1:30 AM.[22]
Professional boxing record
27 fights | 27 wins | 0 losses |
---|---|---|
By knockout | 27 | 0 |
No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
27 | Win | 27-0 | Antonio DeMarco | RTD | 9 (12), 3:00 | Feb 6, 2010 | Monterrey Arena, Monterrey, Mexico | Retained WBC lightweight title |
26 | Win | 26-0 | Héctor Velázquez | RTD | 7 (12), 0:10 | Dec 19, 2009 | Polideportivo José María Vargas, La Guaira, Venezuela | Retained WBC lightweight title |
25 | Win | 25-0 | Antonio Pitalúa | TKO | 2 (12), 0:49 | Apr 4, 2009 | Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas, U.S. | Won vacant WBC lightweight title |
24 | Win | 24-0 | Takehiro Shimada | TKO | 7 (12), 1:55 | Jun 12, 2008 | Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, Japan | Retained WBA super featherweight title |
23 | Win | 23-0 | Zaid Zavaleta | TKO | 3 (12), 1:18 | Dec 15, 2007 | Plaza de Toros, Cancún, Mexico | Retained WBA super featherweight title |
22 | Win | 22-0 | Nobuhito Honmo | TKO | 8 (12), 1:54 | May 3, 2007 | Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan | Retained WBA super featherweight title |
21 | Win | 21-0 | Michael Lozada | TKO | 1 (12), 1:12 | Jan 3, 2007 | Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan | Retained WBA super featherweight title |
20 | Win | 20-0 | Vicente Mosquera | TKO | 10 (12), 2:00 | Aug 5, 2006 | Figali Convention Center, Panama City, Panama | Won WBA super featherweight title |
19 | Win | 19-0 | Genaro Trazancos | TKO | 2 (6), 1:48 | Mar 25, 2006 | World Memorial Hall, Kobe, Japan | |
18 | Win | 18-0 | Whyber Garcia | TKO | 1 (12), 2:57 | Feb 25, 2006 | Centro Recreacional Yesterday, Turmero, Venezuela | Won WBA Fedelatin super featherweight title |
17 | Win | 17-0 | Aram Ramazyan | KO | 1 (8), 0:20 | Dec 5, 2005 | Palais Omnisports, Paris, France | |
16 | Win | 16-0 | Hero Bando | TKO | 1 (6), 1:56 | Sep 25, 2005 | Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, Japan | |
15 | Win | 15-0 | Jose Hernandez | KO | 1 (10), 0:41 | Aug 13, 2005 | Circulo Militar, Maracay, Venezuela | |
14 | Win | 14-0 | Esteban de Jesus Morales | KO | 1 (10), 1:15 | Jul 1, 2005 | Roberto Durán Arena, Panama City, Panama | |
13 | Win | 13-0 | Hernan Abraham Valenzuela | TKO | 1 (10), 2:10 | May 21, 2005 | Ce.De.M. N° 2, Buenos Aires, Argentina | |
12 | Win | 12-0 | Tomas Zambrano | TKO | 1 (10), 1:45 | Dec 18, 2003 | Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California, U.S. | |
11 | Win | 11-0 | Alejandro Heredia | KO | 1 (10) | Oct 27, 2003 | Gimnasio José Beracasa, Caracas, Venezuela | |
10 | Win | 10-0 | Roque Cassiani | TKO | 1 (8), 2:21 | Aug 28, 2003 | Marriott Hotel, Irvine, California, U.S. | |
9 | Win | 9-0 | Emmanuel Ford | TKO | 1 (6) | Jul 19, 2003 | Activity Center, Maywood, California, U.S. | |
8 | Win | 8-0 | Dairo Julio | TKO | 1 (8) | May 23, 2003 | Hotel Tamanaco Intercontinental, Caracas, Venezuela | |
7 | Win | 7-0 | Edgar Mendoza | TKO | 1 (8) | May 17, 2003 | Centro Recreacional Yesterday, Turmero, Venezuela | |
6 | Win | 6-0 | Danny Sandoval | KO | 1 (8) | Mar 22, 2003 | Centro Recreacional Yesterday, Turmero, Venezuela | |
5 | Win | 5-0 | Julio Pineda | KO | 1 (6) | Nov 30, 2002 | Caracas, Venezuela | |
4 | Win | 4-0 | Luis Soto | TKO | 1 (6) | Nov 18, 2002 | Caracas, Venezuela | |
3 | Win | 3-0 | Angel Alirio Rivero | TKO | 1 (4) | Oct 26, 2002 | Centro Recreacional Yesterday, Turmero, Venezuela | |
2 | Win | 2-0 | Danny Sandoval | TKO | 1 (4) | Sep 23, 2002 | Caracas, Venezuela | |
1 | Win | 1-0 | Eduardo Hernandez | TKO | 1 (4), 2:02 | Jul 9, 2002 | Parque Naciones Unidas, Caracas, Venezuela | Professional debut |
Titles in boxing
References
- ^ "Edwin Valero Gives Another Knockout Performance and Calls Out Manny Pacquiao boto". Ringsidereport.com. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
- ^ http://www.maxboxing.com/news/sub-lead/the-fast-rise-and-tragic-fall-of-edwin-valero-december-3-1981--april-19-2010
- ^ http://www.boxnews.com.ua/en/Boxer/10835/Edwin-Valero
- ^ History Made. Sort of…
- ^ http://boxrec.com/media/index.php?title=Fight:1098156
- ^ http://boxrec.com/media/index.php?title=Fight:1056427
- ^ "Valero gives up WBA title!". Fightnews.com. September 3, 2008. Archived from the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
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- ^ Rosenthal, Michael (2009-04-04). "Valero makes strong statement with KO". The Ring. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ http://boxrec.com/media/index.php?title=Fight:1480627
- ^ http://www.edwinvalero.net/edwin-valero-vacates-belt-returns-to-training/
- ^ Dan Rafael (March 25, 2008). "Banned in U.S. since '04, Valero granted license in Texas". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
- ^ Associated Press (September 27, 2009). "Report: Valero arrested on domestic violence charges". USA Today. Retrieved 2009-09-29.
- ^ Mark Vester (March 25, 2010). "Edwin Valero Arrested on Alleged Assault Charges". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved 2010-03-26.
- ^ Jhonny Gonzalez (March 26, 2010). "Edwin Valero: More Details Surface on Arrest, Allegations". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved 2010-03-27.
- ^ Jhonny Gonzalez (March 28, 2010). "Edwin Valero in The Clear; Assault Charges are Dropped". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved 2010-03-28.
- ^ "Valero sent to rehab". Fightnews.com. March 29, 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
- ^ McDonell, Terry, ed. (April 26, 2010). "For the Record: Died". Sports Illustrated. 112 (18). Time: 18.
- ^ http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=AiS6.BuI6yKsZyUovqtnCYZxYQM6?slug=capress-box_valero_slaying-163054724
- ^ Maria Montiel (April 18, 2010). "CICPC: "Inca" Valero confesó haber asesinado a su esposa". Retrieved 2010-04-18.
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=5109456
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=5112471
External links
- Edwin Valero - Daily Telegraph obituary
- Article "Edwin Valero was Murdered"
- Edwin Valero Open Workout Photo Gallery
- 1981 births
- 2010 deaths
- Boxers who committed suicide
- Super-featherweight boxers
- Lightweight boxers
- People from Mérida (state)
- People who committed suicide in prison custody
- Prisoners who died in Venezuelan detention
- Southpaw boxers
- Suicides by hanging in Venezuela
- Venezuelan male boxers
- Venezuelan people who died in prison custody
- World Boxing Association champions
- World Boxing Council champions
- World super-featherweight boxing champions
- Male suicides