By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Undefeated knockout artist and WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero defends his title against Hector Velazquez, a former opponent of reigning pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao in El Nuevo Circo, Caracas, Venezuela on December 19.
Valero has been training at the Boxing Zone Gym in Las Mercedes, Caracas. His sparring partners are the hard-hitting Fernando Angulo who has a record of 22-6 with 14 knockouts and undefeated Venezuelan lightweight Jaider Parra (13-0-1, 5 KO’s).
Angulo is the same fighter who came in overweight for a lightweight eliminator for the IBF No.2 spot and scored a 4th round TKO over Ranee “KO Kid” Ganoy, a Filipino who fights out of Sydney, Australia on December 5, 2008.
The 27 year old southpaw Valero has a record of 25 knockouts in 25 fights and is coming off a 2nd round TKO in a battle for the vacant title against Antonio Pitalua last April 4.
Valero was also one-time WBA super featherweight champion, winning the title by a 10th round TKO over Vicente Mosquera on August 5, 2006.
Velazquez who suffered a 6th round TKO loss to Pacquiao on September 10, 2005 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles but somewhat avenged that defeat when he beat Pacquiao's brother Bobby Pacquiao who was disqualified for repeated low blows in the 11th round, is actually coming off a majority decision loss to Joksan Hernandez in a clash f or the vacant Continental Americas super featherweight crown last June 20. Prior to that he scored a split decision win over Hector Javier Marquez.
There was a time when Valero, who was the guest of Pacquiao at his birthday celebration last year along with David Diaz whom Pacquiao demolished in nine rounds to with the WBC lightweight title, was aiming for a fight against Pacquiao.
However, despite Valero’s claims that he could beat Pacquiao, no negotiations ever took place for a possible showdown as Pacquiao left Valero behind in his pursuit of bigger fights in higher weight divisions.
