RSS
Timothy Bradley too much for Edwin Valero at this point? The boxing public weighs in
Subscribe
Bradley-Valero this June? (Bradley photo - Tom Casino/Valero photo: Chris Farina)
It goes without saying that Edwin Valero is a gutsy guy. Anyone who has seen the Venezuelan in action can attest to his ferocious demeanor in the ring and from all accounts the reigning WBC Lightweight king has the desire to face the biggest names in or around his weight class. But following his stoppage win over Antonio DeMarco this past Saturday, Valero has caused quite a stir in the boxing world by mentioning Timothy Bradley as a possible target.
In recent years Bradley has blossomed as a fighter and is regarded by many as the man to beat at 140 pounds. Decisive wins over the likes of Edner Cherry, Kendall Holt, and Lamont Peterson have given us a glimpse at the versatility and skill that the Palm Springs fighter possesses and he too has let it be known that he is ready and willing to face the elite fighters of the world.
In a Boxing Scene article that dropped just hours ago it was reported that Bradley’s promoter Gary Shaw is so confident that his charge would emerge victorious in a potential clash with Valero that he is willing to travel to Mexico to stage the fight this coming June. It has been reported that Arum is interested in building the hype on Valero for a future date with Pacquiao but a bout with Bradley is certainly a huge risk as this point.
Wanting to get a feel for what the boxing nation feels on this matchup I uncovered some choice comments on some select forums across the net. Whether favoring Valero’s power and aggression or Bradley’s all around attack, the opinions are pretty bold. For the moment most people would seem to favor the reigning WBO Jr. Welterweight champion if the fight took place.
This is what everyone is saying…
(2fly @ BoxingNews24.com)…
“Valero vs Bradley is a great fight if your a fan of either guy then you should like the match up especially if you ever wanna see either fighter against Pac, this would draw big attention to them, smart move for Arum if Valero looses he’ll still be WBC lightweight cahmp where he can make his mark just like JMM (WBO lightweight)they can still be great at 135 if 140 doest work for them..”
(Herman Virk @ BleacherReport.com)…
“that would be a huge mistake, valero is too slow and predictable other than his southpaw stance and power he has little to offer - he'll get molested by bradley.
it's a lot of hype, they think Valero's next fight will be against Juan Diaz because he can fight in Texas. The Bradley fight might come in a fight or two, but one things for sure he'll be fighting around 140 from now on, he's eager to match up against Manny and that's the only way he'll get the chance.”
(El Castigador @ BoxingScene.com)…
“That shot Bradley took from Holt is still fresh in my head.”
(Eko718 @ EastSideBoxing.com)…
“Not a good fight to put Valero in at this point. Arum doesn't seem to care at all about the fighters he represents; only about lining his pockets.”
(Waldo47 @ BadLeftHook.com)…
“I got Bradley by a wide decision and maybe even a KO. Bradley is exactly the type of fighter that beats Valero, fast and can take a punch. Too much of a step up for Valero IMHO, he needs to get a good trainer to seriously kick his ass before he should even consider taking a fight of this magnitude. On the other hand, maybe this is the type of beating he needs before he wises up and stops training himself.”
(Sophocles @ BoxingNews24.com)…
“Damn, boxing needs more guys like Tim Bradley- whether it’s Khan’s name being thrown at him, Pacquiao, Mayweather, anyone, his answer is always ‘let’s fight’ no b/s :applause:
But Arum is making a mistake matching Valero w/ Bradley if his ultimate goal is Pacquiao-Valero. Tim is a pretty big step up in class for Edwin, might be biting off more than he can chew. But maybe Bob’s making a play to get Tim to sign on to Top Rank. Who knows…”
(Joe Oneill @ BleacherReport.com)…
“I think this would be an outstanding fight, and both fighters need the exposure. I really hope it happens, and I like Valero in this fight. He is a phenomenon.”
(Lenny Anaconda @ BoxingScene.com)…
“Arum aint messing around with this guy's career like he is with some of his other fighters that he protects like Juan Ma, Donaire, and Soto. This tells you what a good fighter Valero is. And I'd love to see a Bradley-Valero fight. I mentioned this earlier, but I don't think a Valero-JMM fight will ever happen because Arum and Oscar hate each other and JMM views it as a dangerous fight with little upside. Shaw and Arum get along with each other better even though they still don't really like each other. Lol.”
(Arriba @ EastSideBoxing.com)…
“I think it's a lot closer than you think. Bradley has a habit or tendency to lunge in when he goes to throw his flashy combinations. I think Valero could catch him coming in ala Holt and potentially finish him. At the same time, Bradley is just the sort of dude who does everything well and has massive heart on top of it. He seems like the kind of guy who could give Valero his money's worth on the inside and we've never seen Valero attacked to the body like Bradley normally attacks.
Very intriguing fight.”
(Click to check out the Bradley-Valero timeline and how the two fighters match up)
(sigidy @ BadLeftHook.com)…
“Bradley will KO Valero. He can take advantage of his chin being open and can take a shot to land one.”
(wowzabean @ BoxingNews24.com)...
“Too soon to fight Bradley. I saw the Valero/DeMarco fight, although Valero put on a good fight it seems like he didn’t have that much power. DeMarco was taking those hits and wouldn’t go down. Hopefully he’ll pick up power as he packs on weight. I suggest a warm up at 140 before fighting Bradley, I think Tim will wreck him. Pacquiao shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same sentence as either fighter.”
(One Punch @ BoxingScene.com)…
“Saying Bradley would win is one thing, but to say he would stop him is just silly. Name ONE decent fighter that Bradley has knocked out. Just ONE.
Hint: There arent any.”
(StreetsofRAGE @ EastSideBoxing.com)…
“I think Valero should fight someone like Malignaggi first at 140 and possibly one more person at that weight before facing Bradley so quickly. If they fight right now I don't think it's a sure thing at all that Bradley wins. In fact Valero could quite possibly knock out the small Bradley. It'd be an awesome fight, but I think Valero should take his time on this one.”
(stu @ BoxingNews24.com)…
“won’t happen. valero won’t get a licence.
if it did happen…well…it’s a pick-em. the two most over-rated fighters in world boxing. the light punching bradley with his questionable chin vs a one dimensional boxer who has never been in with any fighter of note at 29 years of age.
still…should be fun. god…that’s gonna get a few know-nothing internet fanboys riled up. at least one of them loses an 0 & i’ll only have to read half the fanboy bull**** after one of them loses. yay for boxing!”
(Precision @ BoxingScene.com)…
“Bradley is the far better boxer, he is far more versatile also. The guy also has more experience against better fighters. He won't knock out Valero but he has the skills to outbox him and imo, he would.”
(ed7890 @ EastSideBoxing.com)…
“I think Bradley beats him. Strong enough not to be afraid of him, and fast and skillful enough to outbox him.
Even though this would be a good fight, I dont really want to see this at the moment. Theres a good few fighters at LW that I want to see Valero face. Same with Bradley.”
(taco pal @ BadLeftHook.com)…
“Bradley has OK power but he isn’t really a finisher. He’s never knocked out a world-class opponent in his career. I suppose he could always learn how to do it, but there’s no reason to predict that he’ll just get it right now, all of a sudden. Unless the idea is that he’ll KO Valero based on the size difference.”
(KingDaddy6 @ BoxingNews24.com)…
“This fight will definitely put Valero on the skyline for bigger fights. Bradley is no pushover, by no means and just fighting him will more than likely set Valero up for bigger fights. I can see Valero fighting someone like Campbell, Hatton or Morales.”
(charlievint @ EastSideBoxing.com)…
“At the moment Tim by UD. I believe Ed is a very good champion and has incredible power. But he's got WAAAAAY too many defensive flaws. Tim will capitolize on left hook and jab over top of Ed's low left. Of course Ed has the kind of power to put Tim out, I just don't see Tim being rattled by Valero's shots b/c Ed won't be able to land flush or catch Tim by surprise. Ed isn't as fast as Tim and Ed relies too much on his power right now....and for good reason....it's been working. But Tim isn't Demarco....and Ed won't have as easy a time with Tim as he did last saturday. But a great fight for Tim and Ed. Both deserve this kind of fight. I see a fairly one sided fight for Tim....and then I hope to see Ed work on his boxing a bit more b/c the power will always be there for him. Ed has skills....just look at the work he does in camp/sparring...he just goes gun crazy when he fights and he looks like he's one demensional.”
(mathed @ BoxingScene.com)…
“It would be an exciting fight but Bradley is no joke. I love it when people think he is all hype, he is the real deal: heart, speed, quickness, agility, movement, determination, and tenacity. He is no quitter and on the inside, he will eat Valero up. He will provide a bunch of movement and trade with Valero and tie him up on the inside. I have Bradley by UD like 9 rds to 3 although I was impressed with Valero too last night....Bradley takes it though.”
(jerry @ BoxingNews24.com)…
“cmon man skill wise this guy is better then the likes of maidana, khan, ortiz, bradley, alexander can all box circles around this guy hes too slow… lmfao at latin fans who think this guy is special… at the end of the day its skills that get you the win not jus power alone”
To see pictures of Valero and Bradley in recent years, please click HERE
In the news this week
Top Rank photographer Chris Farina covers Pacquiao and Clottey in camp
A Bronx Tale: An inside look at Joshua Clottey
Chris Robinson is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at Trimond@aol.com, www.Twitter.com/CRHarmony, and www.Facebook.com/CRHarmony. More of his work can be found HERE
Related Articles:
Comments
NFL Training Camp GuideThe teams are in training for the long season ahead. Examiners cover the gridiron action.
In the squared octagonGet ready for fight night with UFC profiles and stats, match info and exclusive predictions.
