By Gabriel Montoya
Internet myth, knockout artist, lightweight champ, southpaw, rising star, husband, father, abusive husband, confessed murderer, and now suicide statistic, mercurial, natural born fighter Edwin “El Inca” or Dinamita” Valero (27-0 with 27 KOs) came and went through the lives of friends, family, and boxing fans like a violent charismatic shooting star. He burned brightly as he passed by and for a brief moment in time his potential brilliance shined upon us. But as is always the case in life, there are two sides to every story
Over the past year, the troubled prize fighter, with seeming bricks in his hands and a will of steel’s life began to unravel. Years of drug and alcohol abuse alleged by the family of his now deceased 24 year old wife of ten years, Jennifer Yiera, had taken their toll on the troubled soul and a hidden life of spousal abuse, intimidation, hard partying and superstar diva antics began to surface. It was a hidden life that eventually overtook them and ended this past weekend when Valero, checked in with his wife to the Hotel Intercontinental in Valencia, Venezuela. It was there in the early morning hours of April 17 that Valero came downstairs to the lobby and (according to eyewitness accounts) quietly told hotel security that he had murdered his wife. Authorities arrived on the scene within the hour, found the body of Yiera stabbed to death in their hotel room and took Valero into custody.
Valero’s rapidly falling star would finish crumbling to the earth in the early morning hours of April 19, 2010 when he was found by an inmate hanging from a noose made from his sweatpants, barely alive. An attempt to stabilize him by the guards failed and Valero died shortly thereafter. He was 29.
An investigation has been launched by Venezuelan authorities into both the murder of Viera and the suicide death of Valero. The two tragically leave behind many questions, few answers, and two children, an eight year old son and five year old daughter now in the custody of Viera’s mother.
Edwin Valero was first seen by Maywood, Ca trainer Joe Hernandez in an international amateur tournament in Venezuela. Hernandez had brought his young charge at the time, Francisco “Panchito” Bojado to the tourney and it was there that he first encountered the doomed phenom.
“I met Edwin just before the [2000] Olympics,” Hernandez told Maxboxing.com on Monday. “I met him in Venezuela in an amateur tournament. He was representing Venezuela and we were representing Panchito Bojado. And it just so happened that the two finalists were Panchito Bojado and Edwin Valero. And Valero won the fight.”
“I was there when he failed the MRI in New York,” said Fischer. “He was very loving with his family. He was very sweet with his wife and kids. But after he won his title, he changed. He was pretty happy go lucky whenever I saw him solo. But around his family, he wasn’t that warm to them. From that point on, I never saw them smile. They seemed very solemn. After he won the 130 pound title. And after the 135 pound title. I was there and it was that way even there. No smiles. Not from the son. Not from the wife.”
Valero would go on to defend that title four times until finally in 2009 he signed with US based promoter Top Rank and was licensed in Texas. He would take out Antonio Pitalua in a lightweight bout via second round highlight reel KO and it seemed as if once again, his career was on track. Talk began of Valero facing the best of the best. Humberto Soto, Manny Pacquiao and a host of names were thrown out. But also, signs of imbalance had begun to show.
Get the full article http://www.maxboxing.com/news/main-l...-april-19-2010
Internet myth, knockout artist, lightweight champ, southpaw, rising star, husband, father, abusive husband, confessed murderer, and now suicide statistic, mercurial, natural born fighter Edwin “El Inca” or Dinamita” Valero (27-0 with 27 KOs) came and went through the lives of friends, family, and boxing fans like a violent charismatic shooting star. He burned brightly as he passed by and for a brief moment in time his potential brilliance shined upon us. But as is always the case in life, there are two sides to every story
Over the past year, the troubled prize fighter, with seeming bricks in his hands and a will of steel’s life began to unravel. Years of drug and alcohol abuse alleged by the family of his now deceased 24 year old wife of ten years, Jennifer Yiera, had taken their toll on the troubled soul and a hidden life of spousal abuse, intimidation, hard partying and superstar diva antics began to surface. It was a hidden life that eventually overtook them and ended this past weekend when Valero, checked in with his wife to the Hotel Intercontinental in Valencia, Venezuela. It was there in the early morning hours of April 17 that Valero came downstairs to the lobby and (according to eyewitness accounts) quietly told hotel security that he had murdered his wife. Authorities arrived on the scene within the hour, found the body of Yiera stabbed to death in their hotel room and took Valero into custody.
Valero’s rapidly falling star would finish crumbling to the earth in the early morning hours of April 19, 2010 when he was found by an inmate hanging from a noose made from his sweatpants, barely alive. An attempt to stabilize him by the guards failed and Valero died shortly thereafter. He was 29.
An investigation has been launched by Venezuelan authorities into both the murder of Viera and the suicide death of Valero. The two tragically leave behind many questions, few answers, and two children, an eight year old son and five year old daughter now in the custody of Viera’s mother.
Edwin Valero was first seen by Maywood, Ca trainer Joe Hernandez in an international amateur tournament in Venezuela. Hernandez had brought his young charge at the time, Francisco “Panchito” Bojado to the tourney and it was there that he first encountered the doomed phenom.
“I met Edwin just before the [2000] Olympics,” Hernandez told Maxboxing.com on Monday. “I met him in Venezuela in an amateur tournament. He was representing Venezuela and we were representing Panchito Bojado. And it just so happened that the two finalists were Panchito Bojado and Edwin Valero. And Valero won the fight.”
“I was there when he failed the MRI in New York,” said Fischer. “He was very loving with his family. He was very sweet with his wife and kids. But after he won his title, he changed. He was pretty happy go lucky whenever I saw him solo. But around his family, he wasn’t that warm to them. From that point on, I never saw them smile. They seemed very solemn. After he won the 130 pound title. And after the 135 pound title. I was there and it was that way even there. No smiles. Not from the son. Not from the wife.”
Valero would go on to defend that title four times until finally in 2009 he signed with US based promoter Top Rank and was licensed in Texas. He would take out Antonio Pitalua in a lightweight bout via second round highlight reel KO and it seemed as if once again, his career was on track. Talk began of Valero facing the best of the best. Humberto Soto, Manny Pacquiao and a host of names were thrown out. But also, signs of imbalance had begun to show.
Get the full article http://www.maxboxing.com/news/main-l...-april-19-2010
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