Photo: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME – By Esteban Garduno: I really think lightweight Antonio DeMarco (23-1-1, 17 KO’s) is a superb fighter and someone to watch in the future as he gets older and moves up in weight, but as far as this Saturday’s bout with World Boxing Council lightweight champion Edwin Valero (26-0, 26 KO’s) goes, I think DeMarco is going to literally get blown out of the water and wind up staring at the lights. I just hope he’s not blinded by them, because I see there as being little chance that DeMarco gets out of this fight on his feet.

Don’t get me wrong, I think DeMarco has excellent power, height and boxing skills, but he doesn’t have the kind of power that Valero possesses and he doesn’t have the brute strength to keep a monster puncher like Valero off of him all night long. Valero is like a wrecking machine with who doesn’t stop for anything. He’s going to be crowding the stork-like DeMarco from the instant the fight starts and looking to take his head off at the shoulders.

DeMarco has been doing a fine job since being pummeled in a bout against Anthony Vazquez four year ago in 2006. DeMarco has won 15 out of his last 16 fights, knocking out seven of those opponents. However, DeMarco hasn’t anyone nearly as powerful as Valero during those past four years, and he’s going to be under severe fire on Saturday.

Will DeMarco’s chin be able to take the huge artillery that Valero is going to be raining down on him in this fight? I don’t know. If he tries to trade with Valero, I don’t see this fight lasting long at all. DeMarco has a skinny frame, a thin long neck and isn’t the greatest at fighting on the inside. In contrast, Valero is like powerful tank, and is comfortable fighting on the inside and the outside, and can take a heck of a shot. Valero won’t stop punching, and if he can get in close to DeMarco, he’s likely to stay there unless DeMarco can fight him off.

Valero may not have the best defense, but he doesn’t stop punching long enough for his opponent to capitalize on his poor defense. For that to happen, you have to be able to take his monstrous shots over and over again without going down. I don’t think DeMarco is going to be able to take those kinds of shots without folding quickly. Valero doesn’t look great as a boxer, but he can sure throw power shots in bunches.

DeMarco will have to be able to stand up to those huge shots for him to be able to make a fight of it. I think because of his youth, he could make it interesting for awhile, but sooner or later, Valero is going to end up destroying him. With Valero throwing nonstop punches, DeMarco isn’t going to have much of an opportunity to breath or punch.

He may start out initially trying to punch with Valero, but once he starts getting clocked by Valero’s shots, DeMarco is going to go into his shell and just try to survive so that his head isn’t taken off. It won’t matter. Valero will chop the skinny DeMarco anyway. There’s really no escape for DeMarco in this fight other than when the referee finally calls a halt to the fight with DeMarco flat on his back on the canvas wondering what happened.