Katsidis-Chavez, Valero-Pitalua & Escobedo-Hernandez Predictions

valero5333By Dave Lahr: Undefeated knockout artist Edwin Valero (24-0, 24 KOs) will be fighting 39-year-old Antonio Pitalua (46-3, 40 KOs) for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight title on Saturday night at the Frank Erwin Center, in Austin, Texas. Ranked number #1 in the division, Valero, 27, is hoping to impress as he’s making his first appearance in the United States in six years since 2003.

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News: Maskaev vs. Boruff This Saturday; Valero-Pitalua, Napa-Bouziane

maskaev453433This Saturday an historic webcast will take place as former WBC Heavyweight champion of the World, Oleg Maskaev battles Richie Boruff in an important Heavyweight tussle that will take place at the Ice Palace in Sarunsk, Russia.

All the action will take place on www.gofightlive.tv beginning at 11am eastern time for a price of just $4.99.

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The Fighters That Have To Step It Up This Year

dawson5359By Adam Lialo: Stepping up from safe and mediocre territory into a world class zone is a massive gap to bridge. But it’s also a very fine line between the two. Fighters on the outskirts of the top level, through choice, poor management or lack of pulling power or in some cases all three, have to make the decision whether they’re happy with what they’ve achieved or have the hunger and drive to be greater. These are the five fighters that should be believing that this is their year.

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Manny Pacquiao vs. Edwin Valero = Another Massacre

pacquiao4652335.jpgBy William MacKay: Newly crowned World Boxing Council lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao (47-3-2, 36 KOs) is looking to fight the undefeated super featherweight Edwin Valero (24-0, 24 KOs) on November 8th, either in Las Vegas or Texas, with the WBC lightweight title being on the line. Other than his record, however, Valero, 26, looks little better than David Diaz, who Pacquiao easily dispatched in seven one-sided rounds last Saturday night in Las Vegas. Though this is a fight that would look good to many boxing fans considering that Valero, with his huge glossy record filled with nothing but knockouts, currently holds the WBA super featherweight title.

However, Valero appears to be a product of hype as he’s fought largely no one of any real note, mainly fighting C fighters with a couple of B class fighters mixed in for good measure. He certainly hasn’t been tested at this point in his boxing career, and in his one fight against a good fighter (Vicente Mosquera) Valero was dropped in the 3rd round and had to struggle for the rest of the way, taking a lot of big shots, before pulling it out with a TKO in the 10th round in August 2006.

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Valero Crushes Shimada

valero46353223.jpgBy Francisco Chantengo: To no one’s surprise, undefeated WBA super featherweight champion Edwin Valero (24-0, 24 KOs) stopped his 36 year-old Takehiro Shimada (22-4-1, 15 KOs) in the 7th round of a scheduled 12-round title bout on Wednesday night at the Nihon Budokan, in Tokyo, Japan. The bout, a horrible mismatch going in, was never remotely competitive as Valero, 26, treated the Japanese Shimada as punching bag for most of the fight, hitting him with wild looping shots over and over. In the 7th round, Valero missed a wild left hand, but then followed it with a hard right hook that caught Shimada dead on the chin, sending him down to the canvas where he crouched, looking as if he were taking a knee while holding onto the top rope with his left hand.

With his right hand he held it in front of his face, as if to indicate that he was surrendering. Valero, however, stood over him for a second, then reached out and clobbered him with a big right hand that sent the crouching Shimada on his back on the canvas, although incredibly he still never let go of the top rope. Shimada then made it to his feet, looking hurt, his left eye puffed up and swollen, and him looking out of it. The referee Guillermo Perez Pineda then promptly stopped the fight at 1:55 of the seventh round.

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Valero Annihilates Zavaleta

Making his third defense of his World Boxing Association super featherweight title, Edwin Valero (23-0-0 23 KOs) brutally destroyed challenger Zaid Zavaleta in the 3rd round of a scheduled 12-round title bout tonight at the Plaza de Toros, in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Valero knocked Zavaleta down late in the 1st round, and rocked him in the 3rd, leading to referee Luis Pabon stopping the fight at 1:18 of the 3rd round. Valero, 26, controlled the fight from the onset, attacking Zavaleta with blistering right-left combinations and overwhelming him with punches throughout.

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