Edwin Valero RIP

Edwin Valero, a sensational fighter hung himself in his jail cell in Caracas, Venezuela on Monday, April 19, 2010 after being arrested for his wife's murder. Early Sunday morning, April 18, 2010 Valero's wife Jennifer Viera was found stabbed to death in their Valencia hotel room after Valero allegedly told security officials that he had killed her. He was subsequently arrested by the police and prosecutors were preparing to charge him with the murder of his wife. The following morning Valero committed suicide in his jail cell by hanging himself from a bar using his sweat pants.

Edwin "El Inca/Dinamita" Valero

(27-0-0, 27 KOs)

Edwin Valero made his pro debut in Caracas, Venezuela on July 9, 2002 winning the fight by 1st round knockout. Valero went on to win 18 straight fights in a row by 1st round knockout. That streak ended on March 26, 2005 when Genaro Trazancos took Valero beyond the the 1st round. In that fight Valero knocked out Trazancos at 1:48 of round two.

Prior to turning pro Valero was in a motorcycle accident in February 2001 in which he suffered a fractured skull and blood clot requiring surgery. He was cleared to fight by his Venezuelan doctor in January 2002 and turned pro seven months later.

Valero fought twelve times three of which were in the United States before being turned down for a boxing license in New York in 2004 by the New York State Athletic Commission after failing an MRI. This effectively banned him from boxing in United States until March 2008 when Texas granted him a license.

Valero beat challenger Antonio Pitalua (46-4-0, 40 KOs) by 2nd round TKO in a WBC Lightweight Title fight on Saturday, April 4, 2009 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. Pitalua was down three times in round two with referee Laurence Cole stopping the fight at 49 seconds with Pitalua backed into the corner taking a beating. Pitalua had not lost a fight by knockout since 1995 and was coming off a September 2008 knockout win over Jose Armando Santa Cruz. Power punching Valero now has 25 straight wins by knockout.

Valero continued on his knockout streak beating Hector Velazquez (51-14-2, 25 KOs) of Mexico by 6th round TKO in a WBC Lightweight Title fight on Saturday, December 19, 2009 at Polideportivo Jose Maria Vargas in La Guaira, Venezuela. Velazquez was unable to answer the bell for round seven.

Valero beat interim titleholder Antonio DeMarco (23-2-1, 17 KOs) by 9th round RTD in a WBC lightweight title fight on Saturday, February 6, 2010 at the Arena Monterrey in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Despite suffering a deep cut on his forehead that bled profusely throughout the bout from an elbow of DeMarco in round two Valero beat DeMarco into submission. By the 8th round DeMarco looked like a beaten fighter. At the end of round nine DeMarco retired on his stool and did not come out for round ten. This was Valero's 2nd successful defense of his WBC lightweight title. The fight was televised live on Showtime and was the first time Valero had been seen on American television except for a couple of PPVs.