By Dan Ambrose: Former IBF/WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Diaz (35-3, 17 KO’s) is eyeing fights against undefeated World Boxing Council lightweight champion Edwin Valero (27-0, 27 KO’s), Juan Manuel Marquez and Michael Katsidis, according to Boxing News. Diaz, 26, says “If Valero wants me, I’ll take it. If Katsidis wants me, I’ll take it. My dream is to at least one of my world titles back at the end of the year.”
Edwin Valero
Valero to fight Lamont Peterson in June or July – News
By Eric Thomas: World Boxing Council lightweight champion Edwin Valero (27-0, 27 KO’s) will be moving up in weight and facing light welterweight contender Lamont Peterson (27-1, 13 KO”s) in either June or July, according to Boxing Fanhouse. Both Valero and Bradley fight for Top Rank, so putting this fight together shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Valero, 28, wants to move up in weight to get his feet wet to see how he does against light welterweights.
McGuigan: A bout against Marquez, Mayweather, and Pacquiao would be dangerous for Valero
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.
Ward, Valero, Bradley, Berto: Why Boxing is Better than Ever
By Alexander Fugate: Many in the mainstream media have been insisting for years that boxing is dead. Nothing could be further from the truth. They point to the popularity of UFC and say it’s taken over boxing. That’s interesting considering in the last UFC PPV, UFC 109, the headliner Randy Couture got a whopping $250,000 for his winning effort against Mark Coleman. That was the most of any contestant that night. If Mayweather-Pacquiao ever happens both stand to earn between $30-$40 million.
The top earner in the UFC just got a quarter of a million. Dana White, head of the UFC, moved a PPV event from May 1st to May 8th when he found out that Mayweather-Mosley was going to fight the same night.
Valero wants Juan Diaz or Juan Manuel Marquez
By Jason Kim: World Boxing Council lightweight champion Edwin Valero (27-0, 27 KO’s) is already looking ahead after taking apart WBC lightweight interim champion Antonio DeMarco in a stoppage after the 9th round on February 6th in Monterey, Mexico. Valero, 28, wants to fight former lightweight champion Juan Diaz, according to Fight News. Valero also is interested in fighting WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez. And, of course, Valero very much wants to fight Manny Pacquiao, even saying that he wouldn’t make Pacquiao have to take any blood tests like Floyd Mayweather Jr. is asking for.
Prediction: Look for Valero to fight Pacquiao by early 2011
By Sean McDaniel: If you look at all the attention that has been made of World Boxing Council lightweight champion Edwin Valero (27-0, 27 KO’s) since his knockout win last week against Antonio DeMarco, it’s pretty clear that it’s only a matter of time before he’s matched up with WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao. What makes it even more likely to occur in the very near future is that both fighters are promoted by Top Rank Promotions, meaning that lining up a fight between them will be quite simple.
Valero designated “champion in recess” – Soto to fight for vacant WBC title – News
By Jim Dower: World Boxing Council lightweight champion Edwin Valero (27-0, 27 KO’s) has been given the designation of the “champion in recess” by the WBC, says President Jose Sulaiman. The reason for this designation is twofold: First of all, Valero, 28, suffered a bad cut on his forehead in the 2nd round after catching a hard elbow from Antonio DeMarco. The cut, a deep one, will take a considerable amount of time to heal, and will prevent Valero from getting back in the ring anytime soon to defend the WBC lightweight title.
Valero vs. Bradley on June 5th?
By Jason Kim: According to the latest boxing news gossip, lightweight knockout artist Edwin Valero (27-0, 27 KO’s) could be facing WBO light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley on June 5th on Showtime. This is a fight, if it happens at all, which will be taking place at light welterweight rather than lightweight. Valero, 28, wants to move up in weight to get his feet wet at light welterweight to test his abilities at the higher weight class.
Bradley accepts offer to fight Valero
By Jim Dower: After learning that undefeated lightweight Edwin Valero (27-0, 27 KO’s) was interested in fighting him, World Boxing Organization light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley answered in the affirmative, saying “Let’s get it on! Let’s make the fight happen.” Bradley (25-0, 11 KO’s) is considered to be the best fighter in the light welterweight division after beating Junior Witter, Edner Cherry, Kendall Holt and Lamont Peterson in the past two years.
Could Roach make Valero better?
By Jason Kim: WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero (27-0, 27 KO’s) looked much improved in taking out Antonio DeMarco last Saturday night compared to his performance in December against Hector Velazquez. Most notably, Valero looked good on defense and was hit a lot less than he had in his last fight. But one has to wonder whether having a trainer like Freddie Roach would be able to make Valero even better. It’s hard to get better than 27-0, to be sure, but then again, Valero hasn’t faced any true elite fighters at this point in his career.