Edwin Valero Boxing's Hardest Puncher
Venezuelan Knockout Artist has a 100% Knockout Ratio
Oct 27, 2009
Edwin Valero, throughout his seven-year professional career, has made a habit of knocking out those placed in front of him. Twenty-five times in succession the 27-year-old Venezuelan southpaw has brought about the cessation of his night’s work in abrupt fashion. At 25-0 (25 KO’s) he stands on the cusp of the big time. Boxing’s only reigning world champion with a perfect knockout record, he is also the incumbent WBC title holder at 135 pounds. At present he can make a meaningful claim to being boxing's hardest puncher.
A Perfect Knockout Record
Valero, despite having fought only twice in America, has become something a darling of the hard core boxing community. His commitment to attack regularly borders on the reckless and he guarantees excitement from the opening bell. He has demolished all twenty-five of his professional opponents inside the distance and until recently held the world record (18) for consecutive first round knockout wins. Yet for all the glossy perfection of his record many respected commentators believe that there is a considerable quantity of dross to be found amidst the gold when panning through his ring record.
Questionable Opponents
Put simply the quality of Valero’s early career opposition has been at best questionable, at worst risibly inept. The combined records of his first eighteen opponents stood at 62-94-17. This suggests an unbroken litany of mismatches. Indeed critics of a satirically unsympathetic bent have argued that the only credentials required to face Valero are possession of a steady heartbeat and a clean pair of gloves.
However, in rising to the top in his division Valero has certainly had to overcome adversity. On February 5th 2001, while still competing as an amateur, Edwin was involved in a serious motorcycle accident. He fractured his skull and required an operation to remove a blood clot. This delayed the start of his professional career and has subsequently presented him with a variety of stumbling blocks as his career has progressed.
Forced out of action until May 2005, when he resumed his career Valero became something of a rootless traveller, fighting in Panama, Argentina, France and his native Venezuela before making something of a second home in Japan. After capturing Vicente Mosquera’s WBA Super-featherweight crown in Panama Valero made three of his four title defences in Tokyo.
An Exciting Future
Edwin Valero may be boxing hardest puncher. That he is popular and exciting to watch is unquestionable. He throws punches in bunches and stalks his opponents with an intensity that many top fighters will certainly find troublesome. Certainly his last opponent, Antonio Pitalua, was clinically dispatched in their recent bout. However, his crudity is evident on even a brief viewing. While swinging his big shots he often appears alarmingly open. Valero appears to rely solely on his concussive power and it remains to be seen whether he is sufficiently adaptable to be able to change mid-fight against an opponent who can withstand his punches and fire back. Punchers, while the opposition so regularly acquiesce to defeat, often begin to consider themselves unbeatable. Boxing history informs us that this is rarely, if ever the case. When adversity finally calls what will Valero have to fall back on? Boxing fans will have to pay their money, tune in and find out.
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