Boxing schedule for the month of February

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2-0-Sixx

2-0-Sixx

Sicc OG
#1
May 13, 2002
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#1
Lots of solid free fights this month.


February 5
At Davie, Fla. (ESPN2): Glen Johnson vs. Yusaf Mack, 12 rounds, IBF light heavyweight title eliminator; Joey Hernandez vs. Ed Paredes, 10 rounds, welterweights; Guillermo Rigondeaux vs. Adolpho Landeros, 8 rounds, junior featherweights; Yunier Dorticos vs. TBA, 6 rounds, cruiserweights; Yordanis Despaigne vs. Demetrius Davis, 6 rounds, light heavyweights; Yudel Johnson vs. Dorian Beaupierre, 6 rounds, junior middleweights; Yoandris Salinas vs. TBA,

At Santa Ynez, Calif. (Showtime): Freddy Hernandez vs. DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley, 10 rounds, welterweights; Franscisco Contreras vs. Juan Castaneda Jr., 8 rounds, junior welterweights; Lateef Kayode vs. David Whittom, 8 rounds, heavyweights; Ruben Rivera vs. Derrick Thomas, 4 rounds, junior middleweights; Ruffino Serrano vs. Orlando Solis, 4 rounds, featherweights; Emad Ali vs. Chris Green

At Philadelphia: Derek Ennis vs. Edwin Vazquez, 10 rounds, junior middleweights; Loren Myers vs. Israel "Pito" Cardona, 8 rounds, middleweights; Eric Hunter vs. TBA, 8 rounds, featherweight; Joe Dawejko vs. Damon Clement, 4 rounds, heavyweights; Tim Johnson vs. Patrick Budd, 4 rounds, heavyweights; John Bolden vs. Ricardo Johnson, 4 rounds, heavyweights; Jackie Davis vs. Tanya Martinez, 4 rounds, female welterweights; Andres Gustafson vs. Levay King, 4 rounds, heavyweight; Ronald Cruz vs. TBA, 4 rounds, welterweights; Clemente Bethea vs. Henry Northan, 4 rounds, junior welterweights

At Nottingham, England: Jason Booth vs. Matthew Marsh, 12 rounds, for Booth's British junior featherweight title; Martin Concepcion vs. Kevin Hammond, "Prizefighter" tournament eliminator, 10 rounds, junior middleweights




February 6

At Monterrey, Mexico (Showtime): Edwin Valero vs. Antonio DeMarco, 12 rounds, for Valero's WBC lightweight title; Carlos Abregu vs. Richard Gutierrez, 10 rounds, welterweights

At Newark,N.J. (gofightlive.tv): Tomasz Adamek vs. Jason Estrada, 12 rounds, heavyweights; Peter Quillin vs. Fernando Zuniga, 8 or 10 rounds, super middleweights; Denis Douglin vs. Latif Mundy, 6 rounds, junior middleweights; Dennis Hasson vs. Anthony Pietrantonio, 6 rounds, super middleweights; Ismayl Sillakh vs. TBA, Patrick Farrell vs. John Schneider, Sadam Ali vs. Jason Thompson

At McAllen, Texas (Fox Sports en Espanol/Fox Sports Net): Brandon Rios vs. Jorge Teron, 10 rounds, lightweights; Tomas Villa vs. Juan Ruiz, 10 rounds, featherweights; Roberto Marroquin vs. Robert Guillen, 6 rounds, junior featherweights; Jerry Belmontes vs. Morris Chule, 6 rounds, featherweights; Omar Henry vs. TBA, 6 rounds, junior middleweights; Humberto Trinidad vs. Gilberto Elizondo, 6 rounds, welterweights; Eric Molina vs. Andrew Greeley, 6 rounds, Jessie Roman vs. Orlando Gomez

At Atlantic City, N.J. (gofightlive.tv): Shamone Alvarez vs. Alexis Camacho, 10 rounds, welterweights; Vinny Maddalone vs. Dominique Alexander, 8 rounds, heavyweights; Yathomas Riley vs. Walter Foster, 6 rounds, light heavyweights; Chuck Mussachio vs. Richard Dalphone, 6 rounds, light heavyweights; Josh Mercado vs. Ismael Garcia, 4 rounds, welterweights; Thomas LaManna vs. Fasika Bezabeh, 4 rounds, middleweights

At Merida, Mexico: Likar Ramos vs. Jorge Solis, 12 rounds, for Ramos' WBA interim junior lightweight title

At Montreal: David Lemieux vs. Jason Naughler, 10 rounds, middleweights; Herman Ngoudjo vs. Silverio Ortiz, 8 rounds, junior welterweights; Manolis Plaitis vs. Jhonny Navarrete, 6 rounds, welterweights; Kevin Bizier vs. Michael Springer, 6 rounds, welterweights; Wayne John vs. Taffo Asongwed, 4 rounds, heavyweights; Samuel Vargas vs. Todd Furler

February 7
At Kobe, Japan: Denkaosen Kaowichit vs. Daiki Kameda, 12 rounds, rematch, for Kaowichit's WBA flyweight title

February 12
At Temecula, Calif. (ESPN2): Ji-Hoon Kim vs. Tyrone Harris, 10 rounds, lightweights; Ruslan Provodnikov vs. Javier Juaregui, 10 rounds, junior welterweights; Daniel Dawson vs. TBA, 8 rounds, junior middleweights; Maxim Vlasov vs. TBA, 8 rounds, super middleweights; Garret Simon vs. TBA, 4 rounds, heavyweights; Dashon Johnson vs. Sergio Macias, 8 rounds, welterweights; Gabriel Tolmajyan vs. TBA

February 13

At Las Vegas (Top Rank PPV): Eric Morel vs. Gerry Penalosa, 12 rounds, WBO bantamweight title eliminator; Nonito Donaire vs. Gerson Guerrero, 12 rounds, for Donaire's WBA interim junior bantamweight title; Fernando Montiel vs. Ciso Morales, 12 rounds, for Montiel's WBO bantamweight title; Mario Santiago vs. Bernabe Concepcion, 10 rounds, featherweights; Mark Melligen vs. Raymond Gatica, 8 rounds, welterweights; Diego Magdaleno vs. Floriano Pagliara, 8 rounds, junior lightweights; Matvey Korobov vs. Lamar Harris, 6 rounds, middleweights; Hector Marengo vs. Edgar Portillo, 6 rounds, junior lightweights; Bruno Escalante vs. Alejandro Solorio, 4 rounds, flyweights; Jose Benavidez Jr. vs. TBA

At London: Antonio Brancalion vs. Nathan Cleverly, 12 rounds, for Brancalion's European light heavyweight title; Derek Chisora vs. Carl Baker, 10 rounds, heavyweights; Kevin Mitchell vs. Ignacio Mendoza, 12 rounds, lightweights; James DeGale vs. TBA, 6 rounds, super middleweights; Frankie Gavin vs. Peter McDonagh, 6 rounds, welterweights


February 19
At Cleveland (ESPN2): Shawn Porter vs. Russell Jordan, Lanard Lane vs. Martin Tucker, 8 rounds, junior welterweights; Dominic Wade vs. Omar Bell, 6 rounds, middleweights; Dante Moore vs. Marvin Rivera, 6 rounds, junior middleweights; Wilkins Santiago vs. Troy Nelson, 4 rounds, middleweights; Julius Leegrand vs. Eric Ricker, 4 rounds, lightweights; Jake Giuriceo vs. Sam Gibson, 6 rounds, junior welterweights; Chris Hazimihalis vs. Steven Cox, 4 rounds, lightweights; Gary Russell Jr. vs. TBA


At Miami (Telemundo): William Gonzalez vs. Jose Vazquez, 12 rounds, bantamweights; Clarence "Bones" Adams vs. Edel Ruiz, 12 rounds, featherweights; Patrick Teixeira vs. Joseph De Los Santos, 6 rounds, junior middleweights

At TBA, Italy: Gianluca Branco vs. Yuri Nuzhenko, 12 rounds, for vacant European welterweight title


February 20
At Acapulco, Mexcio (Fox Sports en Espanol/Fox Sports Net): Giovani Segura vs. Walter Tello, 12 rounds, for Segura's WBA junior flyweight title; Urbano Antillon vs. Luis Arceo, 10 rounds, lightweights; Omar Chavez vs. Rodrigo Juarez, 6 rounds, junior welterweights

At Mexico City: Daniel Ponce De Leon vs. Orlando Cruz, 12 rounds, featherweights; Lucas Matthysse vs. Vivian Harris, 10 rounds, junior welterweights; Pablo Cesar Cano vs. TBA, 8 rounds, junior welterweights; Marco Antonio Periban vs. TBA, 6 rounds, super middleweights

At Donetsk, Ukraine: Oleg Yefimovich vs. Andrey Isaev, 12 rounds, for Yefimovich's European featherweight title

At Merida, Mexico: Elio Rojas vs. Guty Espadas Jr., 12 rounds, for Rojas' WBC featherweight title

At Stoke-on-Trent, England: Scott Lawton vs. Leva Kirakosyan, 12 rounds, for vacant European junior lightweight title; Gary Buckland vs. Sam Rukundo, 10 rounds, lightweights; Danny McIntosh vs. Tony Oakey, 10 rounds, light heavyweights; Chris Edwards Vs Abmerk Shindjuu, 12 rounds, flyweights; Martin Murray vs. Shalva Jomardashvili, 8 rounds, middleweights; Scott Quigg vs. Nikita Lukin, 8 rounds, junior featherweights; Mathew Hatton vs. Mikheil Khuchishvili, 8 rounds, welterweights; Steven Foster JR vs. TBA, 6 rounds, junior lightweights; Andy Morris vs. TBA, junior lightweights; Craig Watson vs. Barry Jones, 6 rounds, junior welterweights; Sergey Gulyakevich vs. Nikolov Berkatshashvili


February 25
At Los Angeles (Fox Sports Net) "Fight Night Club" season premiere: Victor Ortiz vs. Hector Alatorre, 10 rounds, junior welterweights; Luis Ramos vs. TBA, 6 rounds, lightweights; Charles Huerta vs. Gaudalipe De Leon, 6 rounds, featherweights; Jessie Vargas vs. Robert Luna, 6 rounds, junior welterweights; Karl Dargan vs. Jose Alfredo Lugo, 6 rounds, lightweights; Ricky Lopez vs. TBA

February 26
At El Paso, Texas (ESPN2): Antonio Escalante vs. Miguel Roman, 10 rounds, featherweights; Danny Garcia vs. Ashley Theopane, 8 rounds, junior welterweights; Luis Enrique Grajeda vs. Michael Anderson, 6 rounds, welterweights; Jermell Charlo vs. Travis Hartman, 8 rounds, welterweights; Omar Figueroa vs. TBA, 6 rounds, junior welterweights; Sharif Bogere vs. TBA, 6 rounds, junior welterweights; Eric Bautista vs. Michael Brooks, 4 rounds, cruiserweights


At London: "Prizefighter: The Junior Middleweights" (8-man, single-night tournament, all bouts 3 rounds, draw to be determined): Bradley Pryce, Neil Sinclair, Prince Arron, Danny Butler, Brett Flournoy, George Hillyard, Steve O'Meara, Martin Concepcion-Kevin Hammond winner

At Dover, Del.: Mike Stewart vs. Brandon Baue, 8 rounds, welterweights; Ryan Belasco vs. Julias Edmonds, 6 rounds, junior welterweights; Karen Dulin vs. Christina Leadbeater, 4 rounds, female featherweights; Clarence Taylor vs. Joshua Snyder, 6 rounds, middleweights; Mike Tiberi vs. TBA, 6 rounds, middleweights; Dan Grafton vs. TBA, 4 rounds, heavyweights; Anthony Smith vs. TBA, 4 rounds, light heavyweights; Mike Denby vs. Horatio Pitmon, 4 rounds, junior welterweights; Bernard Miller vs. Walter Brown, 4 rounds, welterweights


February 27
At Atlantic City, N.J. (Fox Sports en Espanol/Fox Sports Net): Mike Jones vs. Henry Bruseles, 10 rounds, welterweights; Gabe Rosado vs. Saul Roman, 10 rounds, junior middleweights; Kendall Holt vs. Kaizer Mabuza, 12 rounds, IBF junior welterweight eliminator; Dennis Hasson vs. TBA, 6 rounds, super middleweights; Troy Maxwell vs. Todd Eriksson, 4 rounds, super middleweights; Jamaal Davis vs. Ossie Duran, 6 rounds, junior middleweights; Glen Tapia vs. Tyrone Miles, 4 rounds, junior middleweights


At Bayamon, Puerto Rico (Integrated Sports PPV): Marvin Sonsona vs. Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., 12 rounds, for vacant WBO junior featherweight title; Hanna Gabriel vs. Molly McConnell, 10 rounds, female welterweights; McWilliams Arroyo vs. TBA, 4 rounds, flyweights; Carlos Negron vs. TBA, 6 rounds, cruiserweights; McJoe Arroyo vs. TBA, 4 rounds, bantamweights

At Cancun, Mexico (Integrated Sports PPV): Hugo Hernan Garay vs. Chris Henry, 12 rounds, for vacant WBA interim light heavyweight title; Christian Mijares vs. TBA, 12 rounds, bantamweights

At Mexico City: Rodel Mayol vs. Omar Niño, 12 rounds, for Mayol's WBC junior flyweight title

At Kempton, South Africa: Hekkie Budler vs. Juanito Rubillar, 12 rounds, junior flyweights; Thomas Oosthuizen vs. John Chibuta, 12 rounds, super middleweights; Tshifiwa Munyai vs. Daniel Ferreras, 12 rounds, bantamweights; Jason Bedeman vs. Bilal Mohammad, 12 rounds, lightweights; Kgotla Baeti vs. Danile Botman, 8 rounds, lightweights; Flo Simba vs. Steven Castle, 4 rounds, heavyweights

At Allentown, Pa.: Travis Kauffman vs. Bernard Brown, 6 rounds, heavyweights; Jason Cintron vs. Maurice Chalmers, 8 rounds, junior welterweights
 
2-0-Sixx

2-0-Sixx

Sicc OG
#2
May 13, 2002
49,944
47,801
113
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Seattle
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#2
Good freddie roach interview on Guillermo Rigondeaux and the challenge of making him more of an offensive fighter.


Freddie Roach Searches for Guillermo Rigondeaux’s Offense





By Gabriel Montoya
(Photo © Landry Major)

At the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, CA, you will find one of the most dangerous, offensive fighters in recent memory, one Manny Pacquiao. During his training camp for his upcoming bout with Joshua Clottey, Pacquiao’s training sessions are closed to the public from 1 PM to 4 PM. However, if offense isn’t your thing, then come a little earlier and you will get to see one of the sport’s true masters ply his trade. Celebrated Cuban amateur star and now burgeoning professional Guillermo “El Chacal” or “The Jackal” Rigondeaux, 4-0 (3), makes his home here and trains under the guidance of veteran trainer Freddie Roach. It’s an odd match as Roach is known as a more offense-oriented trainer while Rigondeaux loves to make opponents miss, while not necessarily always making them pay. Just speaking with both men gives one the sense that while they both agree the bantamweight Rigondeaux can do big things in the sport in a short time, how he will do that is still a point of contention.



“He is a very challenging guy,” Roach told me after a recent sparring session, as Rigondeaux prepares for a February 5 bout with Adolfo Landeros, 20-12-1 (9), televised on ESPN2. “Very clever and all that, but I need him to be more offensive. He gets kind of stuck in the Cuban style, amateur boxing, where he scores points and don’t let you score back. He is very hard to hit. Anyone coming to brawl, he will eat up. But when someone comes to box, he is going to have trouble going forward. He is working on being more offensive and it’s going slowly.”



“Naturally I had to do some adjustments because of the styles,” Rigondeaux told me of the change from amateur to pro.. “A professional compared to an amateur is a little different so I had to change somewhat with my distance and with my short punches. So yeah, I have had to make some adjustments. In the professionals, it’s more about strength and give and take. That kind of style and you have ten fights and your career can be over.”



Rigondeaux is one of the greatest amateur fighters of all times. He boasts two Olympic gold medals in two separate Olympics and countless other awards. His amateur record is 374-12. The man knows fighting. In particular, he understands the art of hit-and-not-get-hit.



Watching him in the gym on this particular day, I saw him work with three separate sparring partners; an unknown Armenian kid who was rough, tumble, and too slow to get to Rigondeaux, Gerry Penalosa, who couldn’t hit him with a bucket of water, and Bernabe Concepcion, who made Rigondeaux pick up the pace both with his feet and hands in the final rounds of the session. It’s like watching a scientist in the lab. Rigondeaux is a southpaw who understands how to make that work for him. Always shifting his feet side to side, back and forth, but never in a hurry. Relaxed and calm in what he calls “the Cuban style” of holding his lead hand down in an “L” around his waist, ala Floyd Mayweather Jr., while picking off shots with his rear hand. Nothing is rushed; each movement is used to keep his opponent off-balance and unsure, and all of it worked on this day. I got the sense he wasn’t toying with his opponents so much as tweaking and testing his own style to see what would work and what wouldn’t.



When he is at his most effective is from the outside. Jabbing one or two at a time, baiting his opponent by not throwing the left, feinting, and then flashing that powerful left while getting out of the way of return fire. I saw him do this move over and over but each time, it was a little different. He’d move left first, or right, come back to center ring and leap forward with the left or right. He’s feint both punches then slip the incoming while diagonal stepping past an opponent and turn just in time to get off a beautiful counter. This is the guy you don’t want to see in a phone booth.



“Every day in the gym, I am coming up with different ways to improve my style,” said Rigondeaux afterward. “Nothing in particular, defensive skills. Just stuff that has worked for me for a long time. I plan to do some things different, but not much. My style has worked for me up to this point. I don’t see a need to change much up in it. I know I can change up my style when I want. I can fight on the inside or the outside. I just prefer to fight on the outside because that has been effective for me. So I don’t plan on changing much on it.”



Rigondeaux does not watch tape of his opponents, instead leaving that to Roach. He prefers instead to gather intel from his trainer and then get in the ring. His opponent will tell him the rest.



“Most of my thing is to get the other guy into my rhythm, my type of style, and that is boxing. That is what I plan to do,” explained Rigondeaux. “I just need to find my rhythm. Find the other guy’s rhythm and have that work for me. After that, I can figure out what will work for me and what won’t.”



At age 29, it’s hard to say if Rigondeaux can change his style much. While he is as versatile and as skilled a fighter as I have ever witnessed in the gym, at 370+ fights, he may be set in his ways. This is the challenge that Roach faces. Plus, when you’ve only lost 12 times in your life, it’s hard for anyone to tell you what you are doing is wrong. Still, this isn’t the amateurs. In the United States, where ESPN, HBO and Showtime are respective kings in the boxing world, entertainment is key.



“It’s hard,” said Roach of his efforts to get more offense from Rigondeaux. “You fight the same way for 375 fights, it hard. He’s getting better at it but I am not sure we will get to where I want. I told him he can be like Gamboa. He beat Gamboa in the amateurs. He does have that kind of power. The problem is, once people feel that power, they start moving and running away from him. Winning is one thing, but being a TV superstar is another. It’s why you’re here. That’s why he needs to be more offensive.”



The 122-pound super bantamweight division has seen some of its stars, as of late, leave for the more lucrative featherweight division. Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuri Gamboa are just two stars who have vacated Rigondeaux’s weight class, leaving him free to pick up vacant belts and make a quick move despite his few fights as a pro. The problem is getting anyone ranked to fight him.



“I feel very comfortable at 122 and before I move up to 126, I’d rather conquer all the titles at 122. After that, I will see if I can go up to 126.” said Rigondeaux. “Mostly everybody has gone up in weight leaving titles vacant. So I feel secure in fighting anybody at this weight. I’m just waiting for the opportunity. What happens, though, is that you get guys with 20-something fights and I only have four fights, their excuse is that I don’t have enough fights. They don’t want to give me a shot. I say, ‘Why not?’ The money is there so why not give me a shot? Who cares about how many fights I have?”



Despite his pupil’s confidence in his own abilities, Roach feels Rigondeaux needs a little more time adjusting his style to the pros. Proper matchmaking at this stage is key.



“I’d put him in with Israel Vasquez today,” said Roach. “But someone who can box and move a little bit? Those styles I will hold off on for a while until I get him more comfortable coming forward.”



For now, Rigondeaux has Landeros in front of him. At 5’ 6”, Landeros gives up an inch in height but is only a year older than the Cuban. With losses to also-rans or never-wases, it’s safe to say this fight won’t go many rounds. But dangerous foe or not, Rigondeaux is the consummate pro. He doesn’t make predictions and has no preconceived notions about the fight.



“I am not putting too much thought into the fight. Meaning, I’m just focusing on winning and then getting ready for the next fight.”



Whether it’s an offensive fight or a defensive show, Rigondeaux’s considerable skills will be on display this Friday on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights.” Judge for yourself whether he needs more offense or not; one way or the other, the skills are undeniable. What he does with them remains to be seen.



“In the States,” said Roach, “it’s about entertaining people. And that’s by knocking people out. [Rigondeaux] has knockout power for a little guy. He just has to use it.”
 
2-0-Sixx

2-0-Sixx

Sicc OG
#7
May 13, 2002
49,944
47,801
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Seattle
www.socialistworld.net
#7
Edwin Valero – A Cult Hero Finally Hits Primetime


By Thomas Gerbasi (photo by Tom Casino/Showtime)

New York City. January, 2004. It was one of those sights you wouldn’t forget – Edwin Valero strutting down Fifth Avenue like a Venezuelan Tony Manero – brash, bold, and looking like he owned the place.

In a way he did, because he knew what was supposed to happen next. 12-0 with 12 knockouts, all in the first round, he was the type of power-punching star that boxing fans crave. On January 29, 2004, he was going to make his New York and HBO debut against Francisco Lorenzo on a Boxeo De Oro telecast, and nothing was ever going to be the same for him or for boxing.

But then came the roadblock – a ban from the New York State Athletic Commission due to a failed MRI stemming from a 2001 motorcycle accident that fractured his skull and forced the removal of a blood clot. Valero claimed that he was cleared by doctors before his 2002 pro debut, and had obviously competed without incident in three California fights. But there would be no fight for Valero in New York that winter night, and maybe not on any other night.

The swagger was gone, and even now, 14 fights, six years, and two world championships later, Valero turns tight lipped when asked about his New York nightmare.

“I was little frustrated at not being able to fight in New York because it’s one of the biggest cities and it so many legends have fought there,” he told BoxingScene Wednesday through translator Reynaldo Solorzano. “But that was something that happened in the past and I already forgot everything because I wanted to start a new career.”

It didn’t look promising for the then 22-year old phenom, but this is boxing, and all of a sudden, an unlikely comeback began in 2005, in places like Buenos Aires, Panama City, Maracay, Kanagawa, and Bercy. Valero was now the boxing outlaw, still knocking people out in less than a round, yet unable to fight in the United States.

And his legend grew in the process. Aided by the wonders of internet technology via youtube.com and progress reports by current RingTV.com scribe Doug Fischer, Valero became every fight fan’s favorite cult hero, even to those who never saw a complete fight of his before. Things got so nuts that when Valero challenged for his first world title in 2006 against Vicente Mosquera (by now his KO streak was still intact but he had gone into the second round before halting Genaro Trazancos), boxing message boards were flooded with fans listening to a radio stream of the bout in Spanish just to hear the announcers going crazy while hoping for a Spanish-speaking colleague to translate what they were listening to.

Valero would win the WBA junior lightweight title that night, halting Mosquera in the 10th round of a classic battle that saw the Venezuelan hit the deck himself in the third round. Yet after defending the title four times in 2007-08, there was still no light at the end of the tunnel when it came to him fighting in the United States.

But he was still the outlaw, still the cult hero, and growing more compelling by the moment, whether with his tattoo of the Venezuelan flag and President Hugo Chavez on his chest, his wild mane of hair, or his sheer joy in punching people and making them fall down. And eventually, something had to give, and it did in early 2009 when he was given a license to fight Antonio Pitalua in Texas for the vacant WBC lightweight title.

Not surprisingly, he stole the show with a second round TKO of Pitalua, but visa issues related to a DUI in Texas kept him out of the States and out of a November 2009 bout against Humberto Soto. Disgusted, but not discouraged, Valero instead defended his crown with a seventh round stoppage of Hector Velazquez last December, leading him into 2010 and what may end up being the most pivotal year of his career.

On Saturday night, Valero will put his 135-pound belt on the line for the second time against rising star Antonio DeMarco. Yes, it will be out of the States again – this time in Monterrey, Mexico – but it will also be Valero’s first premium cable appearance on Showtime (two previous bouts were aired on pay-per-view in the US), and the first time for casual fight fans to see what all the fuss has been about all these years.

“This is the first time that you’re going to see me fight nationally in the United States,” said Valero (26-0, 26 KOs). “I fought on pay-per-view before, but it was completely different. This time, I feel comfortable with people watching me and I think it will open those doors and give me the opportunity to come back to the US.”

The stage is certainly set for him. Last year, the Nevada State Athletic Commission amended a rule that said it would not “issue or review a license to engage in unarmed combat to an applicant or unarmed combatant who has suffered cerebral hemorrhage,” changing it to “If an applicant for a license to engage in unarmed combat or an unarmed combatant has suffered a serious head injury, including, but not limited to, a cerebral hemorrhage, the applicant or unarmed combatant must have his application for a license or for renewal of a license reviewed by the Commission before a license is issued or renewed.” Of course Valero would have to go through the proper screening and exams to get licensed in Nevada, but if he does, passes, and then gets licensed, the big fights will suddenly become a reality, and the continuation of what was supposed to happen in 2004 can resume.

“It’s been a little frustrating, but not too much,” said Valero of his years as boxing’s version of the traveling ronin. But even he knows that while he has truly become a “world” champion while fighting around the globe, the amount of money that has been left on the table due to his lack of mega-fights on US television has got to be immense. He’s still young though, at 28, still knocking people out, and still able to make an impact beyond the hardcore fanbase.

But first there’s DeMarco to beat, and Valero is saying all the right things before he defends his crown.

“DeMarco’s going to be an aggressive southpaw,” he said. “He’s a talented fighter and he has great skills to support him, but I’m just as talented, if not more so, and I’m ready to go for the fight.”

As for being on the Los Mochis native’s home turf in Mexico, you know the answer to that one - it’s just business as usual.

“I’m accustomed to fighting people in their own country because that’s all I ever do is fight outside of my own country,” he chuckled. “There are really no adjustments that I need to make. Every camp for every opponent is the same, and I’ve fought in Mexico before and I’m very comfortable here, so I don’t feel any added pressure. I just want to give the fans and everyone watching one of my best fights ever. And of course I’m going to win and keep my title.”

In his lone previous bout in Mexico, in December of 2007, Edwin Valero defended his 130-pound title with a three round win over Zaid Zavaleta, and he wouldn’t mind a repeat performance to announce his arrival in the land of the superstars. But like all true knockout artists, he pulls out the cliché handbook when asked about his punching prowess and says that he never seeks an early finish.

“We never look for the knockouts – they come by themselves,” he said. “I’m just doing my job inside the ring.”

But you like the knockouts, right?

He laughs.

“Exactly.”

So do we.
 
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Sicc OG
#8
Dec 9, 2005
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Should be an entertaining fight tomorrow. I've only seen DeMarco fight once or twice. I'd really like to see how Valero does against some of the elite lightweights.
 
2-0-Sixx

2-0-Sixx

Sicc OG
#10
May 13, 2002
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#10
valero would get smashed on. He's not ready, or big enough (valero still is at 135 pounds, pac at 147).

This is a really good test for Valero tomorrow, it should answer a lot of questions. If he wins he can move on to some bigger names, like JMM for example or someone like that.
 
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Sicc OG
#14
Dec 9, 2005
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#14
Perfectly placed body shot right there. I've been hit there before, but by a kick...right underneath the 'floating ribs'...and I swear that shit hurt more than when you get hit in the nuts so hard you get a stomach ache.
 
2-0-Sixx

2-0-Sixx

Sicc OG
#15
May 13, 2002
49,944
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Seattle
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#15
in 5 fights he's had 3 KO's by body punches I believe. Very impressive.

Out of all the Cuban's he's the one I think can win a title right now. Rumors are he might fight Celestino Caballero next. He can have a title fight in his 6th pro fight. And I'd favor him to win.
 
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