Photo courtesy of Cancun Night of Champions website
From left to right: Genaro Hernandez, Naoki Matsuda, Edwin Valero, and Jorge LinaresEdwin Valero and Jorge Linares will be defending their titles in “Cancun Night of Champions” Saturday December 15th at the Plaza de Toros in Cancun, Mexico. Japanese veteran Naoki Matsuda will also be on the card. All of the above fighters were in attendance for a open workout and press conference in Los Angeles, California on Tuesday. For more information and including photos click here.
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Boxing’s Best Kept: Edwin Valero Secret Plans to Keep the Knockout Streak Going This Saturday
By George Diaz Smith-December 14, 2007
This upcoming December 15th fight pitting WBA Super Featherweight Champion Edwin “El Inca” Valero, 22-0, 22 KO‘s, against Zaid Zavaleta, 16-2-2, 11 KO’s, increases Edwin’s chances to being considered a major threat to the junior lightweight division.
Specifically Edwin is looking for knockout #23, but in listening closely to him he isn’t going in recklessly to get it. His promoter amply encouraging early knockouts, but being in a hostile environment like in the one he was in the Mosquera fight out in Panama had given him a valuable lesson.
Valero realizes the benefits of fighting where the applause won’t be so evident everywhere, and cares less about it because as he puts it, “I am used to fighting in distant countries, so it isn’t anything to be careful of. However, in the hour that we step into the ring it’s going to be only he and myself. The great value that I received in Panama (against Mosquera) served that purpose if nothing else.”
Manager and Promoter Akihiko Honda for Team-Valero has been working round the clock, getting rivals for “El Inca,” but credits Zavaleta for stepping to the plate. Although Zaid does fight between the lightweight and junior welterweight levels, it doesn’t matter much. That may show us how Valero does with a heavier handed fighter and should prove a substantial test.
The knockout puncher, Valero may be Japan’s best kept secret, unleashed on the American audience. Edwin also has health assessments held by Mr. Honda, certifying that he is healthy enough to fight. Valero also has an alliance with Mexican great, Marco Antonio Barrera and stated: “Marco Antonio is my personal friend and is going to be by my side without any preconceived notions that my rival is a Mexican or not. It’ll give me strength knowing that he’s behind and supporting me.”
They had projected Valero making his way to the states by the end of this year. He states that he is only interested in the hot prospects and fighting them right now and not waiting for them to be old and tattered. He says that he’s having problems meeting Manny Pacquiao in his own backyard for one reason or another and that the WBC rarely allows unification of titles, but only asks for one chance. A 23-0 or 24-0 record would help and Valero also has stated that he knows that he can knockout Manny Pacquiao.
When it comes to boxing, Valero says that: “We (the Venezuelan fighters) like to fight at home. There the people do back us, but now gaining bags of money isn’t what the public’s perception is getting with the television media. We do make money. However, the problem in Venezuela, as it is in lots of Latin American countries, is that television channels do not support boxing. It’s the grand problem.”
“Cancun Night of Champions” will have a WBC Featherweight Eliminator as well with the return of Rodolfo “Rudy” Lopez, 20-4-1, 14 KO’s, against Japan’s Naoki Matsuda, 28-7-3, 11 KO’s, that promises sustained action.
Undefeated WBC Featherweight Champion, Jorge Linares, 24-0, 15 KO’s, defends against Gamaliel Diaz, 22-6-2, 9 KO’s, and one terrific glimpse of hot Floridian featherweight prospect, Wilfredo “The Legend Continues” Vazquez, 8-0, 7 KO’s, will cap off this great night of action.
For me,so far Edwin Valero is deja vu..so far I haven't seen him,but he "looks like" Ruben Olivares has made a comeback
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