McGuigan: A bout against Marquez, Mayweather, and Pacquiao would be dangerous for Valero
February 14th, 2010
By Sean McDaniel: Boxing great Barry McGuigan says he thinks that WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero should get out of boxing before he gets hurt. In an article at the Mirror, McGuigan thinks that Valero is putting himself at risk by fighting after sustaining a fractured skull as well as a blood clot on the brain following a motorcycle accident in 2001. Valero wasn’t wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. Although Valero subsequently had an operation to remove the blood clot and was given the okay to fight in his native Venezuela, McGuigan thinks that he’s putting his life at risk by continuing to fight.
Valero, 28, recently defeated Antonio DeMarco in a 9th round stoppage on February 6th. Valero didn’t have to worry about getting hit too much in the fight, as DeMarco looked preoccupied for the most part with all the heavy shots that Valero was tagging him with. Valero, whose defense is lacking at times, held his head up as he usually does when he fights and he took a lot of jabs to the head during the fight. Valero hasn’t faced a lot toough opposition during his career, which has saved him from taking punishment. However, as he moves up against better opponents in the future such as Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, Valero’s lack of defense could be exposed by these fighters.
McGuigan, talking about Valero’s defensive flaws, says “It is a style that leaves him vulnerable in elite class. From a technical point of view, Valero fights recklessly…Valero throws shots like he is looking over a fence with his head stuck up in the air. That is ok when the opponent is so scared by his reputation that he is already running away…But against a Pacquiao or a Mayweather, Valero would get the opposite response. Both exploit any technical vulnerabilities. A bout against either, or a Juan Manuel Marquez for that matter, would be dangerous for Valero.”
What McGuigan says is true if Valero’s head isn’t fully recovered from his accident. There’s no way that you can tell for sure. However, it’s up to him, and he’s not about to quit because of what might happen to him in the ring, because Valero stands to make too so much money by continuing to fight on. McGuigan could be right. Maybe Valero should retire from boxing before he gets hurt, but he’s probably not going to. And it probably matter much if Valero never receives the ok to fight in Nevada or New York, he’s going to be sought after more and more by the boxing public until he ends up getting beaten.
Tags: 22 Responses to “McGuigan: A bout against Marquez, Mayweather, and Pacquiao would be dangerous for Valero”
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All you guys who are claiming the choice should be Valero’s are somewhat missing the point. There are numerous people who would quite happily climb into a ring and fight to the death if the financial motivation to do so was great enough. That doesn’t mean its morally correct to allow them to do it. Fighters risk their lives every time they step in the ring. Boxing fans and boards of control have to respect that and if a fighter has had an operation to remove a blood clot from his brain he should be removed from competative sport for his own good. Oh, and the guys supposedly quoting medical facts – you have no idea what you’re talking about and just about every sentence you wrote was utter nonsense. If you’re going to use medical terms in a pathetic attempt to add credulity to your post at least take time to get them right.
Thank you stu for pointing that out mate!
@ George
What i actually meant was that a man died as the result of fighting Barry McGuigan not that he actually died in the ring, i should’ve made that clearer but thanks for pointing it out!
I just hope that valero will no be like Z Gorres.
BOXING NEED TO GO BACK TO 15 RNDS
TO SEE WHO IS THE REAL CHAMP AND WE NEED TO GET RID OF ALL THE CRAKER JACKS TITLES BELTS ***OIL CHANPION ***ABC CHAMPION **NMBC ALL THE BULL***… LETS STOP ACTING LIKE BABIES AND FIGHT LIKE A MAN,
Valero’s power is untested against elite fighters. Sure, he knocked out all of his opponents, but they are no way elite.
Say he fights Pacqiao and knocks him out. All is good and he becomes famous. If the situation is reverse and Pacqiao batters him like he did Dela Hoya and Cotto. This would not just prove that Valero’s power is not as effective against the elite, it could severely injure or kill him.
however good valero is, if he is at higher risk (boxing is a dangerous sport)of getting hurt he should not be aloud to fight . imagine pacman vs valero live ppv valero seriously injured. on that level the last thing boxing needs is a casulty. if he has the all clear few more boxers are gonna get knocked out
If he passes all health tests, it is his choice.
As for his style, he does some things in the ring that are definitely not by the book. Holds his hands low and his chin high. Also fights the entire fight with his mouth open. Very unusual. However, his defense is not bad despite these violations of boxing basics.
But his defense is not how he wins. He has quick power from strange angles, much like Pacquiao.
bullsh*t, Valero at this point can probably beat JMM. He would be too powerful for JMM. I think Valero wouild also KO a “cleaned” Pacquio, only Floyd has the style to beat this guy.
LOOK MAN JUST ADD ROLANDO REYES TO THE MIX. AND WE HAVE A SHOW
Fighter are at risk no matter wat!!! Look at z gorres he won n out of nowhere felt into a coma
IMHO he should just stay at lightweight. Not much opposition and risk.
Young Ali who McGuigan fought in 1982 was KO’d in the 6th and fell into a coma and died 6 months later in Nigeria.
Benn fought Gerald McClellan who was severely injured as a result of the fight. After collapsing in his corner after the fight had finished, McClellan was rushed to hospital where it was discovered he had developed a blood clot on the brain. To this day McClellan is almost completely blind, partially deaf, and uses a wheelchair, although he has regained some movement and can walk with a cane.
Chris Eubank’s 2nd bout with Watson,Eubank connected with a devastating uppercut which caused Watson to fall back and hit the back of his head against the ropes There was no ambulance or paramedic at the event. After some eight minutes, doctors wearing dinner jackets arrived, during which time the fallen fighter received no oxygen. A total of 28 minutes elapsed before Watson received treatment in a hospital neurosurgical unit.He spent 40 days in a coma and had six brain operations to remove a blood clot.
After regaining consciousness, he spent over a year in intensive care and rehabilitation and six more years in a wheelchair while he slowly recovered some movements and regained ability to speak and write.
On 19 April 2003, Michael Watson made headlines when he completed the London Marathon, walking two hours each morning and afternoon for six days. Raising money for the Brain and Spine Foundation.
get your facts right before writing bulldog (Watson is still alive) and don@london bit harsh saying McGuigan killed a man in the ring. he died months later after being in a coma. First aid and doctors wasn’t as strict back then.
@ bulldog.
young ali died after fighting mcguigan.
michael watson ended up brain damaged after fighting chris eubank.
gerald mclennan ended up brain damaged after fighting nigel benn.
so you were wrong 3 times in the space of one sentence. that’s pretty impressive.
don@london it was benn that killed watson in the ring not barry mcguigan
Not sure too many people are aware of this but McGuigan actually killed a man in the ring so is bound to be cautious of peoples safety and when he’s referring to it being more dangerous in championship fights that’s because ref’s tend to let fighters take more of a beating than at a lower level for example if a defending champion is taking punishment the ref will give him every chance of turning things around. Still have to agree though that a man has to do what a man has to do especially when they come from that side of the world!
mcguigan is right. people forget that boxing is dangerous.
He will be a dead meat facing pacquiao..ill see him knocked out in 3 rounds..
Valero can fight Floyd who really is not a strong puncher compared to Marquez or Pacquiao so his skull will be safer with Floyd.
Valero is like a young MIke Tyson… opponents have a plan before they get into the ring but as soon as they get hit a few times that plan goes out of the window. Pacquiao and Marquez are the Tyson equivalent of Holyfield, skilled and not afraid of a big puncher. Should be interesting to see how this all turns out.
What foolishness…after all the fights and training sparring he has done since the accident, if that is not the ultimate test on the integrity of his sudural scar tissue, I don’t know what is…
The hematoma was evacuated by a tiny burr hole and the vascular defect from the closed skull fx has since sclerosed, fibrotic and the resulting tissue much tougher than the native dura matter and cerebral vasculature…that is to say he is actually turning into a meathead, which is good considering his profession
“A bout against Marquez, Mayweather, and Pacquiao would be dangerous for Valero” – NO SPIT! And it would be grossly unfair, too, to have a 3-on-1 bout.
Now, change the “and” to “or”, and we have a question worth debating.
Valero will probably be on a card with Margarito in Mexico sometime this year. Also, Barrera got the go ahead and the proper licenses to fight in the USA passing all the tests he needed to and Valero failed because of his MRI results. Another factor could be Valero’s DUI conviction which could keep him from entering the US. He might not even be allowed in the country and if he is he probably won’t be able to fight here. Margarito could literally kill him with his plaster! Too much money for Valero to say no though, and I don’t see Arum caring one way or another what happens to Valero as long as he makes money off him.