THE BOXING TRUTH: Who’s next for Valero?

THE BOXING TRUTH: Who’s next for Valero?





In this edition of The Boxing Truth Beau Denison discusses the next potential opponent for undefeated WBC Lightweight champion Edwin Valero.



When thinking of a fighter who is undefeated in twenty-five fights with every win coming by way of knockout, it is rare that you question the legitimacy of the record. In the case of undefeated two-division world champion Edwin Valero it is hard to ignore what he has accomplished thus far in his boxing career.



It is beyond comprehension that Valero is not universally known throughout the boxing world. Valero’s accomplishment of having stopped every opponent he has faced should be recognized as impressive because it certainly is not easy to accomplish.



Valero, an awkward southpaw has a unique blend of an offensive arsenal that combines the sudden one punch power of a Mike Tyson but on a lower scale and the speed of Manny Pacquiao. This combination gives an appearance of an extremely dangerous fighter that can but likely will impact multiple weight classes.



The problem that now faces Valero is that with the appearance of being invincible and with a unique offensive arsenal is that he may become a fighter to avoid. Particularly the notable names in the 130-140lb. divisions may envision Valero’s overall explosive style as high risk with low reward options by fighting him.



The fact is that Valero despite his twenty-five wins by way of knockout in twenty-five fights Valero is not a household name.



Although I have been impressed on each occasion that I have had the opportunity to see Edwin Valero fight I do not want to give him too much credit and label him as boxing’s newest most feared fighter just yet.



Despite the fact that Valero has won two world titles in as many weight classes an argument can be made that he has not really been tested by some of the top fighters in the lower weight divisions.



The questions that some boxing fans or experts might have in regard to Valero are can he take a punch? What happens when he is extended in a fight into the middle or late rounds? Can he deal with adversity?







These questions are all legitimate and hopefully they are questions that will be answered in time., What has been weighing on my mind are who will Valero fight next? Will Valero be put in against a fighter that will give him a significant test.



After four successful defenses of the WBA Jr. Lightweight Championship, Valero in his last fight moved up to the 135lb Lightweight division and faced veteran Antonio Pitalua for the vacant WBC Lightweight championship. On the surface the fight gave the appearance of an all out battle.



Pitalua gave the illusion of someone who could provide a legitimate test to the 27 yr old Valero having come into the fight with fourteen consecutive wins by knockout and not having lost a fight in over seven years.



However, after a short feeling out process in the first round Valero was able to take control of and win the fight in the second round knocking Pitalua down three times before the fight was mercifully stopped.



Is it fair to say that Pitalua was not qualified to be in the ring with Valero? Not necessarily but when you consider that Pitalua is 39 years old and this was Pitalua’s only opportunity at a world title in a 17 yr. career it does make one wonder.



It is very possible that Pitalua simply just got caught and was unable to recover, after all people can get hurt in there.



It has happened many times to many fighters in boxing and it is part of what makes the sport great that one punch at any given time can change an entire fight.



Therefore without totally discrediting Pitalua, the question should be who will be next for Valero? The lightweight division is arguably the most talented and stacked weight class in boxing. There are many fighters that could potentially give Valero the test that would validate him as a legitimate force in the lower weight divisions and deserving of the opportunity to match up with the cream of the crop.







Perhaps not coincidently, on the undercard of Valero-Pitalua there were fights in the lightweight division featuring top contenders and past world champions facing each other. The one bout that caught my interest the most was the fight between top contender Michael Katsidis and former Jr. Lightweight champion Jesus Chavez. What stood out the most was the performance of Katsidis…



Katsidis a brawling style fighter was able to impose his will and gradually break down Chavez. This strategy worked to the point where Chavez was battered into submission after seven rounds.



Jesus Chavez is a fighter who has had a never say die type of work ethic his entire career. Chavez most notably demonstrated this in his fight with Erik Morales having fought ten of the scheduled twelve rounds with only his left hand after injuring his right shoulder during the bout.



For Katsidis to make a fighter like Chavez quit in his corner no doubt makes him a legitimate threat to anyone in the lightweight division.



Here is a perfect scenario for a young fighter like Edwin Valero to prove his legitimacy against a notable fighter who has been on the brink fighting for a world championship.



Katsidis is a fighter who gave former world champion Joel Casamayor all he could handle and was winning the fight before Casamayor was able to catch up with him. Katsidis was also able to nearly pull out a victory over former world champion Juan Diaz.



Despite losing both of those fights, Katsidis has proven that he is a legitimate top ten contender and based on his win over Jesus Chavez deserves another opportunity to prove himself against a world champion. Is Valero next?



This could be a candidate for fight of the year if a bout between Valero and Katsidis is made. What makes this potential fight so interesting is you have two fighters with similar punching power and speed. Valero’s one punch power against a fighter who overwhelms his opponents with combination punching with a fighting style that resembles the great Arturo Gatti gives this potential fight a very intriguing storyline.



The other interesting thing that would be a focal point in this fight is Katsidis’ ability to take a punch and keep coming forward. It would be interesting to see at this stage in Edwin Valero’s career what would happen if he weren’t able to bring the fight to a sudden conclusion with one punch and have to make adjustments to his game plan in the middle of a fight.



Katsidis is the kind of fighter that can answer all the questions of Valero that I previously made reference to. The only question is whether or not it is in the promoter of Valero’s best interest to put his fighter in with a legitimate threat like Katsidis.



Valero is currently seeking an opponent for his next fight which could take place in July… From a promoter’s perspective a Valero-Katsidis fight should be looked at as an investment in the long term future of Valero.



It would not be in a promoter’s best interest to put Valero in against a fighter say with the credentials of Unified Lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez immediately off the victory over Pitalua.



From a skeptical perspective, although Valero has been able to walk through every opponent he has faced an argument can be made that he has only faced level C opposition and may not be ready to take on the task of facing a fighter like Marquez who is on top of his game and on top of the division.



The best case scenario for Valero to prove that he is stepping up the level of his opposition is to put him in with a fighter like Katsids.



This is the kind of fight that will help both fighters in the long term and in Valero’s case should he be successful could catapult him into a big money super fight with Marquez if that is what Valero and his promoter are aiming for.



The only thing Valero would have to be wary of if a fight with Katsids is made is the danger of taking Katsidis lightly.



Even a fighter as devastating as Valero has been, still  can be caught. If Valero has allowed the recent surge of his name and popularity to give him a big head it could be to the advantage of Katsidis who will be looking to play the role of spoiler and spoil any plans that Valero may have for any mega fights down the line, because a fighter with a big head is a fighter that can be easier to hit.



And That’s The Boxing Truth