By Esteban Garduno: WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero (27-0, 27 KO’s) showed me that he’s the real deal in dispatching the tough Antonio DeMarco (23-1-1, 17 KO’s) after 9 rounds Arena Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico. Valero reduced DeMarco, a big puncher in his own right, into a timid lamb as he clubbed him into quitting on his stool after the 9th round had ended. In that beating that Valero showed that he may be the next big boxing star in the sport and is ready for bigger hurdles like WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao.

I think Valero is more than ready to take Pacquiao and give him a beating along the same lines that he gave DeMarco on Saturday night. The only thing that’s stopping Valero from facing Pacquiao is his promoter and the fact that Pacquiao has a fight scheduled against Joshua Clottey, and then a potential huge mega fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. later on in 2010.

Valero’s power looks as good as Pacquiao’s, but I think what makes Valero the better fighter is that he’s very clever on defense. Valero showed good head movement and an ability to land without getting hit by moving slightly to avoid shots. Pacquiao has to get in and get out to avoid incoming fire. Valero doesn’t need to do that.

Valero has the ability to lean away from shots and pick off blows with his gloves. For a Valero-Pacquiao fight to take place, Manny would have to move down in weight for the fight to happen at 140. It wouldn’t be fair for Valero to have to eat his way to 147 for the fight to happen. I’m sure he can do that, but it would be a better situation for him if Pacquiao moves down to 140 for the fight to happen.

If Valero vs. Pacquiao does happen, it will likely take place in 2011 because of Pacquiao’s schedule of fights. Valero would have to stay busy in the meantime by fighting some notable fighters to help make a name for himself in the public. There’s talk of Valero moving up to the light welterweight division because of his problems making the lightweight division. That’s fine. Valero could stay busy fighting some of the top fighters at light welterweight like Timothy Bradley while he waits on Pacquiao to get freed up for a fight.

Valero, 5’7 ½” would have an inch height advantage over Pacquiao, and as long as there wasn’t some nasty catch weight involved in fighting the Filipino fighter, I can see Valero coming into the fight as strong as he looked last Saturday night against Pacquiao. If this fight takes place next year, Pacquiao will be a year older and more beaten down after hard fights against Clottey and Mayweather and/or Shane Mosley.

That’s even better for Valero. Pacquiao’s punch resistance and reflexes may be reduced by the time that he meets up with Valero, and it could be a huge factor in the fight. It doesn’t matter, though. Even if Pacquiao is still fighting the same as he is now, I can see Valero’s pressure being too much for Pacquiao to deal with.

Valero is a nonstop punching machine and unless his opponent runs from him all night long, I think he’s going to mow down anyone they put in front of him. Pacquiao will be just another victim when his promotional team eventually put him in with Valero. I just hope that Pacquiao isn’t too badly depleted by then from his wars with Clottey and Mayweather, because I don’t want there to be any excuses afterwards as to why Pacquiao lost to Valero.