abs-cbnNEWS.com
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines – Seven-division champion Manny Pacquiao expressed surprise over the death of former 2-time world champ Edwin "El Dinamita" Valero, who was one of his potential future opponents in the ring.
“Nagulat ako nang malaman ko ang nangyari (I was surprised when I heard of what happened),” said Pacquiao, who is the last few weeks of his bid for the lone congressional post in Sarangani Province.
“Nakikiramay ako sa pamilya niya, ipagdasal na lang natin siya (I condole with his family, let us pray for his soul),” he added.
The heavy-hitting Venezuelan boxer, who went undefeated for 27 fights, was considered among the Filipino champion's possible opponents because of his sensational fighting style.
He committed suicide in his prison cell a day after being arrested for the murder of his young wife.
Pacquiao's adviser Michael Koncz also lamented Valero’s fate, saying it could have been prevented had the Venezuelan’s manager intervened.
Downward spiral
Valero’s life went on a downward spiral during the past weeks. Near the end of March, he was arrested for suspected aggression towards his wife, and had spent time subsequently at a psychiatric clinic.
He was detained on Sunday after confessing to murdering his 20-year-old wife, Jennifer Carolina Viera de Valero, in a hotel room overnight in the northern Venezuelan city of Valencia.
A day after his arrest, Valero hanged himself by making a rope out of his clothes. He was apparently still alive when guards found him, but died shortly after arriving at hospital from asphyxiation. He was 28.
Valero, together with former world champion David Diaz, were even among the VIPs (very important persons) who attended Pacquiao’s 2008 birthday bash.
“He was here 2 years ago with David Diaz during Manny's birthday,” said Koncz. “But he never disclosed anything about his problems.”
'Primed to take on Pacquiao'
Top Rank promotions chief Bob Arum said he was setting up Valero to be a future opponent of Pacquiao.
“I was grooming him as a great future opponent for Manny Pacquiao. That would have been a sensational fight,” Arum said in a Reuters report.
The WBC listed Valero as champion in recess in February to allow him to recover from his injury and give him time to decide which division he will compete next.
“He was a sensational fighter, sensational… He was just electric. A complete crowd-pleasing style,” added Arum, who co-promoted the Venezuelan’s last two fights. Arum also promotes the bouts of Pacquiao.
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the Venezuelan fighter was considering to fight in the welterweight division so he can clash with Pacquiao, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) titleholder.
Even Pacquiao’s coach, Freddie Roach, was setting his sights on Valero as a suitable opponent for the Filipino should negotiations with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. fail again. (Click here to read).
“The number one contender in my mind right now is Valero,” Roach told BoxingScene.com in March after Pacquiao retained his WBO welterweight crown by defeating Joshua Clottey via unanimous decision on March 13.
“I've been watching him a little bit. I know he's a big puncher. He's a southpaw and does pose some difficulties. He's better than just a guy who could punch but I think that's the best marketable fight out there for us,” he noted.
String of deaths
Valero's case is the latest among the string of deaths related to big name boxers in recent months.
In July 2009, Panamanian boxing legend and 3-time world champion Alexis "The Explosive Thin Man" Arguello died after reportedly shooting himself in the heart.
A week later, Canadian boxer Arturo Gatti was allegedly murdered by his wife, after a heated domestic dispute.
Two-time world champion Vernon Forrest of the US was killed after being shot at by an armed robber in Atlanta also in July. -- With a report from Jay Dayupay, ABS-CBN News SOKSARGEN and Agence France-Presse
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
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