By Jeff Stoyanoff

It is hard not to get excited about watching Edwin Valero fight. It’s the record that brings you in, 26-0, 26 KO’s. This guy didn’t even see the second round until his 19^th fight. Upon stopping his seventeenth consecutive opponent in the first round, Valero eclipsed the previous record (undocumented) of Young Otto who set the previous record in 1906. Anybody who is setting records that have stood for better than 100 years is worth watching. Amazingly, despite the gaudy record, many people are picking against Valero as he readies himself to meet Antonio DeMarco, 23-1-1, 17 KO’s, for the WBC Lightweight Title, in Monterrey, Mexico this Saturday night. It is not as though his record means that Valero is infallible by any stretch. Many fighters have put together pretty spectacular records only to be exposed when they stepped up. And, Antonio DeMarco is a solid fighter having strung together 16 consecutive wins himself. The striking thing is not the presence of those who doubt Valero; rather it is the lack of many believers in Valero. Obviously, we will learn more about Valero as he goes along. In the meantime, this step up highlights many questions and dynamics.

The various paths of the knockout artist

Not long ago, Shobox featured a young super middleweight named Victor Oganov. Oganov came in with a record of 26-0 with 26 KO’s. Oganov was stepping up some to take on Fulgencio Zuniga. Oganov struggled mightily as his wide shots never found Zuniga and his suspect defense provided ample opportunity for Zuniga to counter. Zuniga became more and more dominant as the fight progressed eventually stopping Oganov in the 9^th round. Edwin Valero has definitely accomplished more to this point than had Oganov. Oganov was completely untested, while Valero has notable wins over the likes of: Vicente Mosquera, Antonio Pitalua, and Hector Velazquez. Nonetheless, history is replete with fighters who amassed stellar records before meeting the kind of opponent who is both willing and able to stand in and fight only to then wilt under the pressure of a tough and experienced opponent.

Valero almost undoubtedly brings more than Oganov. Yet, it could still be a case of a Jeff Lacy or Michael Grant. Lacy and Grant strung together impressive records and even continued to win as they stepped up to tougher competition. The chinks in their armor were still there, but they were still good enough to keep on winning. That is until they stepped up to the very top levels of their divisions. Only then did they fall short. This could be the path of Valero, only time will tell. Valero has explosive, incredible power that is unquestionably legitimate. However, he is prone to throwing wide punches and his defense is suspect as he squares up regularly and constantly keeps his chin in the air. Like many before him, Valero may prove to have enough offensively to continue to win, but defensive lapses will be exposed eventually. One just has to scale high enough in the rankings to find the opponent who can do the job. Valero might just be the latest example of this kind of knockout king.

Of course, there is still another possibility. Some fighters dominate early opposition and just go right on winning eventually reaching the summit of the sport. Pretty much any great power punching fighter fits into this category: Joe Louis, George Foreman, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Julio Cesar Chavez, and on and on. What separates these fighters is that the chinks in the armor are not nearly as noticeable. The power is there, but so is the rest of the package. This might yet be the case with Valero. Although, it seems unlikely that Valero can get to this lofty perch without substantially improving his defense. The fact is, Valero’s record only tells us that he has some power. Just how much power and how good of a fighter he is overall will only be revealed in his subsequent fights.

Naturally, these paths are not binary. Valero may yet prove to straddle the ground between these names. Yet, in the end, the degree to which his early record either endorsed or belied his true ability will be uncovered…by the likes of Antonio DeMarco. And, in the end, for better or for worse, Valero’s career will probably closely mirror a fellow KO artist who came before him.

A Matchup of Styles?

This fight should provide a classic battle of boxer versus puncher, but it probably won’t. DeMarco has the frame of a boxer, but he seems to prefer to stand in and trade. It would seem that the best way to fight Valero would be to box in an effort to take advantage of his wide punches and defensive deficiencies. The fact that boxing might also serve to neutralize Valero’s power should not be discounted either. The simple fact is, someone is going to box Valero; it just probably won’t be DeMarco.

The degree to which DeMarco can box in this fight should closely coincide with his chances of doing well. DeMarco has some ability to box. This would be a great time to dust off those skills and put them to good use. If DeMarco elects to stand and trade then Valero will likely have scored a major coup by picking the perfect name opponent against whom he can deliver a spectacular performance.

Who will take the next step?

Both fighters are talented; both are on a roll, and both have shown glimpses that they can be impact fighters at the top of the sport. Conversely, both are still somewhat inexperienced and both have weaknesses that can be exploited. Valero is still wide and a little slow sometimes which lays the door wide open for a tough, slick counterpuncher to come in and earn a huge win. DeMarco is also still a little green as he tends to slug it out more than he needs to often eschewing the body as well as he repeatedly targets the head. That leaves the door open for a superior slugger like Valero to engage in just the kind of firefight that he, no doubt, desires.

This will very likely be a seminal fight in one of their careers. This fight will quite possibly be the beginning of the end for one of the combatants. If Valero is successful, it should demonstrate that his power is truly special and that he is a force to be reckoned with by virtue of his devastating power alone. It won’t mean that every other fighter can hang up the gloves because Valero has done it to perfection mind you; it just means that his legitimacy as a player will take another huge step forward. On the other hand, if DeMarco wins, it will signify an ascendance of an equally dangerous fighter. If DeMarco can win over Valero especially by fighting a tactically superior fight, it will signal the arrival of another young fighter with the potential to be special. DeMarco has shown both speed and pop; if he adds a measure of experience and ring savvy he will truly be a fighter to watch.

The stakes are very high as they always are when both fighters prepare to take that dangerous leap to a higher level. There is no turning back now….for either man.

The Pick

This seems like an imminently winnable fight for DeMarco. One suspects that Valero will always leave people with the impression that he can be beaten. Fighters that rely on power always appear as though they can be boxed. What is not always apparent is just how hard that can be to do when an opponent can hit the way that Valero can. The fighter that beats Valero is going to be tough, smart, and experienced. I have no doubt that DeMarco is the first. He probably is also the second. But, he is not yet the third and it is that dynamic that could cost him here. Valero makes mistakes and if DeMarco is patient he will be rewarded. Unfortunately, DeMarco makes mistakes as well which opens the door for Valero.

This should be a scintillating fight with both men landing. DeMarco may very well be ahead on the cards. However, Valero will get to fight his fight and that makes it only a matter of time before his power becomes the telling factor; Valero by 10^th round TKO.

Also on the card

Luis Carlos Abregu, 28-0-0, 23 KO’s, also steps up his level of competition when he squares off against solid veteran Richard Gutierrez, 24-3-1, 14 KO’s. In keeping with the theme of the evening evidently, Abregu has also compiled an impressive record, albeit against less than stellar opposition. Abregu has stopped his last two opponents, but a win over David Estrada likely stands as his biggest win to date. Unfortunately, that win was by split decision. It remains to be seen how Abregu will fare as he steps up to more seasoned competition.

Gutierrez certainly qualifies as seasoned. Gutierrez seemed overmatched against Alfred Angulo in 2008 losing by 5^th round TKO, but that fight took place in the Junior Middleweight Division where an obviously overmatched Gutierrez went only 1-1-1 in three fights. Outside of that experience, Gutierrez has consistently held his own against top level fighters. Gutierrez lost a majority decision to Joshua Clottey in 2006. His only other loss was in his most recent fight; a unanimous decision to Antwone Smith. Gutierrez will look to get back on track against Abregu, but moving back down in weight after the age of 30 is never easy. Abregu might just be in the right place at the right time.

The Rest

Marvin Quintero, 18-2-0, 14 KO’s takes on Luis Gonzalez, 14-1-1, 8 KO’s in a Lightweight bout scheduled for 8 rounds.

Juan Pablo Lopez, 14-0-0, 13 KO’s, takes on Humberto Tapia, 14-12-1, 7 KO’s in a Junior Welterweight bout scheduled for 8 rounds..

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