Bilang na ang mga araw ng mga katulad nina Mexican world super featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez at Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao.
Ito ang inihayag kahapon ni Edwin Valero ng Venezuela kina Marquez at Pacquiao matapos pabagsakin si challenger Zaid Zavaleta sa third round para panatilihin ang kanyang suot na World Boxing Association (WBA) super featherweight crown kahapon sa Cancun, Mexico.
“Those guys are on their way out anyway,” sabi ng 26-anyos na si Valero kina Pacquiao at Marquez. “Of course I would want to fight them, but I can’t. I feel confident one day I’ll fight in the U.S. and then I’ll get my chance. But if I don’t, OK. I am a world champion and I’ll just defend my title wherever I can.”
Ang kanyang natanggap na medical suspension ang nagbawal kay Valero, nagdadala ngayon ng 23-0 win-loss ring record kasama ang 23 KOs, na makalaban sa United States kung saan namamayagpag sina Pacquiao at Marquez.
“I don’t even like to talk about it because it doesn’t matter. I’m healthy. I can fight. So that doesn’t make any sense to talk about that,” ani Valero.
Katulad nina Pacquiao at Marquez, ang kasalukuyang World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight champion, may knockout punch rin si Valero, ayon kay Oscar Dela Hoya ng Golden Boy Promotions.
“He doesn’t need five or six shots to take you out,” wika ni De La Hoya sa Venezuelan fighter. ”All he needs is one. He’s got scary kind of power.”
Samantala, nabigo naman si Filipino challenger Bert Batawang (50-7-0, 34 KOs) na maagaw kay Mexican Ulises “Archie” Solis (25-1-2, 19 KOs) ang hawak nitong International Boxing Federation (IBF) light flyweight belt nang bumagsak sa 1:35 ng ninth round sa Auditorio Benito Juarez sa Guadalajara, Mexico. (Russell Cadayona)