Valero & Linares Win By KO
By Bill Calogero - Photo: Sumio Yamada - December 16, 2007 - Edwin Valero improves to 23-0 (23 KOs) with the destruction of Zaid Zavaleta in the third round of their scheduled twelve-round Super Featherweight Championship. The contest was the Main Event of “Night Of Champions” broadcast live on PPV from the Plaza de Toros in Cancun, Mexico on Saturday night.
Valero, as he always does, came out aggressive and on the attack. Although he claims to train for twelve round bouts, one would never guess it if they watched him fight. To me, he wants to end the fight as quickly as possible. He was throwing punches from every angle, landing on the head and body of Zaid Zavaleta. Zaid, tried to counter Edwin’s attack by throwing and landing several hard shots to the jaw of Valero, but nothing slowed the Champion down. As the ten-second warning was given, Valero landed a solid left that sent Zavaleta down. He was up at eight, was allowed to continue and the bell sounded to end the first round.
During the second round, Valero continued to batter Zavaleta by unleashing a relentless attack, throwing punches in bunches and landing most. As game and as tough as Zaid is, it was not enough to slow down Valero.
The third round began as the second closed, with Valero thoroughly beating up Zavaleta. Just as Zaid began to mount somewhat of an attack of his own, Edwin Valero landed a devastating right hand that basically put Zavaleta out on his feet. As he was frozen standing upright, Valero unleashed a barrage of punches that sent Zaid down and out.
The official time of the Knock out was 1:18 of the third round. Edwin Valero retained his WBC Super Featherweight Title and is looking to fight Manny Pacquiao next.
Zaid Zavaleta drops to 15-3-3 (11 KOs) and looks to regroup.
In the Co-Main Event, Jorge Linares weathered an impressive performance by a very determined and extremely tough Gamaliel Diaz to retain his WBC Featherweight Title.
The first round saw Diaz coming out with reckless abandon, throwing punches from all over, landing some, particularly an overhand right that clearly stunned Linares. Diaz went in for the kill, but failed to put the Champion away. Linares survived the first round without leaving his feet, but losing the round on my scorecard.
Round two through five all went to Linares on my scorecard. He won those rounds by using his superior hand speed and his very accurate punching ability, landing meaningful punches throughout these four rounds. During the fourth round, a left hook, followed by a right uppercut put Diaz down. He was up at eight and chose to bang toe-to-toe with Linares to close the round.
In rounds six and seven, Diaz began to mount a bit of a comeback. He was the busier fighter and was clearly pressing the fight and on my scorecard, won both rounds. His heart and determination was beginning to take over and it seemed like the fight was about to take a turn.
As the bell sounded to start the eighth round, Diaz again came out as the aggressor, pressing the action. Jorge Linares was crisp with his counter-punching and seemed to have gained his wind. Gamaliel went in for the attack, when a crushing right hand by Linares stopped and dropped Diaz for the count.
The knockout kept Linare’s undefeated record in tact as he improves to 25-0 (16 KOs). The loss drops Diaz to 22-7-2 (9 KOs).
On the under card, Naoki Matsuda stopped Rudy Lopez with an eighth round TKO in a WBC Featherweight Eliminator bout.
Lopez was performing to his game plan, when a solid shot opened up a severe cut over Lopez’s eye in the 5th round. It got worse and caused the fight to go in Matsuda’a favor.
Naoki Matusuda improves to 29-7-3 (12 KOs). Rudy Lopez drops to 20-5-1 (14 KOs).
To round out the exciting card, the final PPV show for 2007, Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. and Jorge Cardenas battled to a Majority Draw in their eight-round Featherweight contest.
The highly favored Vazquez, took control of the fight at the start, but faded and Cardenas clearly became the busier fighter to keep this fight very exciting.
One judge at ringside scored the fight 77-75 in favor of Vazquez, while the other two saw it even at 76-76 causing the fight to be ruled a Majority Draw.
Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. remains undefeated at 9-0-1 (8 KOs) while Jorge Cardenas adds another draw, now at 9-4-4 (6 KOs).
Edwin Valero Stops Zaid Zavaleta in Three
- By Sean Ocampo: Edwin Valero (23-0-0 23 KOs) successfully retained his World Boxing Association Super Featherweight Title by stopping Zaid Zavaleta (16-3-2 11 KOs) in the third round of their twelve round championship affair in Cancun, Mexico. Valero showed dominance all throughout the fight by attacking Zavaleta's head and body with vicious assaults. The win marks Valero's third successful defense of his WBA Super Featherweight Title since winning it against Vicente Mosquera last year.
 During the first round, Valero clearly dominated Zavaleta with his vicious left hand shots and non-stop attack. He relentlessly pushes his opponent back with his straight left hand. Valero was able to drop Zavaleta with a left hand shot before the end of the first round.
During the second round, Zavaleta was still dazed with Valero's assault. Despite of the beating he took from the Venezuelan bomber, he was still able to survive the second round. The third round was the beginning of the end for Zavaleta, as he was getting hammered more and more by Valero. After several unanswered shots from Valero, referee Luis Pabon called a halt to the fight at 1:18 of the third round.
Valero's knockout streak continues, but he is still waiting for a license to fight in the United States. During his post fight interview, he said that he wishes to fight Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao in the near future to claim Super Featherweight supremacy.
Edwin Valero And The Albatross
By Matthew Hurley: Edwin Valero has become something of a YouTube fascination to many American boxing fans. The power-punching World Boxing Association super featherweight champion has registered a professional record of 22-0 with 22 KOs – 19 of those coming in the first round. He helped prepare Erik Morales for his first bout with Manny Pacquiao and then worked as a sparring partner for Marco Antonio Barrera when the ‘Baby Faced Assassin’ closed out his career against the ‘Pac Man’. In fact, after losing to Pacquiao he was asked who could beat the Filipino icon and he answered without hesitation “Valero!.”
The southpaw from Venezuela has since relocated to Japan and has continued to ply his craft outside the United States where potential big money bouts against the likes of Pacquiao lie. This career altering circumstance actually began a year and a half before the fighter turned professional. Valero suffered a severe head injury in a motorcycle accident, recovered and began a twelve bout string of first round knockouts – 3 of which occurred in the United States. Before his thirteenth bout a routine MRI revealed a ‘black spot’ on his brain. The fallout was immediate. The New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) put Valero on immediate suspension which basically banned him from being licensed to fight anywhere in the US.
An undeterred Valero packed up his belongings and moved his family to Japan where he signed a contract with Akihiko Honda’s Teiken Promotions. He turned his ferocity, and obvious frustration, on his opponents, eventually winning the title by an exciting 10th round TKO over Vincete Mosqueva. This Saturday the diminutive banger with the long hair, odd glasses and odder still taste in clothes defends his title against Zaid Zavaleta, 16-2-2 with 11 KOs at the Plaza de Toros in Cancun, Mexico. The bout is being telecast on DirecTV, Dish Network and In Demand pay-per-view at the suggested price of $29.95.
But as Valero’s career continues the very real concern that his prospects for a big fight against the likes of Pacquiao or Juan Manuel Marquez hangs in the balance as long as his suspension remains intact. That albatross could also wreak havoc on his psyche and his maturation as a fighter. Already, just 22 bouts into his career, there are hints coming out of his training camps that he is no longer willing to accept criticisms or carry on learning the finer points of the game in terms of defense and footwork. Because he continues to knockout opponents with, for the most part, relative ease, Valero is becoming a wild swinging fighter. His opposition has also begun to stagnate. There is a very real possibility that all the potential that resides in his small but powerful frame will be wasted.
Valero continues to pass all subsequent pre and post fight medical exams but the NYSAC suspension remains, so far, his greatest obstacle. The fighter, who admits to frustration over his situation, recently wondered aloud why he seems to be frozen out by a suspension that was handed down years ago when other fighters such as Joe Mesi and Evander Holyfield, both suspended by the NYSAC have found venues in the United States to fight.
“We are hoping that (the) problem gets resolved soon,” he told Fightnews.com. “I am able to fight everywhere else, why not in the US? I have passed the tests in every country I have fought. I am sure I would pass them in the US.”
If the suspension holds up there is a real possibility that Valero will return to the United States, most likely the Southern California area to live and train. He could then fight in Mexico. The idea of continuing to live and fight in Japan is one that he has admitted to being a “difficult” option and one he would rather not continue in the long run.
But as time goes on and his career continues to be haunted by the suspension, the fighter’s skills are beginning to falter just a bit. Where at one time he was a patient stalker who set up his power shots behind his jab, he has now become a head hunter who leaves himself open to counter punches. As the skill set of his opposition has leveled off there is the very real possibility that should he finally get licensed in the US and face off against a supremely talented fighter his punch won’t be able to make up for his regression as a fighter.
But all of that remains to be seen. He is still only 26 years old and is at or near his physical peak as an athlete. And with a bout on pay-per-view more people will get a chance to see him and boxing fans love a powerful slugger who can end a bout with just one punch. If you haven’t seen him fight yet and don’t plan on buying the pay-per-view there’s always YouTube.
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