Edwin Valero. Hype job or the next Duran?

Obviously we all know what happened to Valero, but how far do you think he could? and how do you think he would of done against current 135-147 fighters, Rios, Guerro, Bradley, Khan, Ortiz, Berto. The way he battered his way through the lightweight divison (up until it all went down the pan for reasons that dont need discussing) in a style very reminiscent of Roberto Duran. So i ask you all, how good could he of been, and how high could he have climbed on a PPV scale?

I wouldn't use hype job as he was actually pretty good but I think he would have been outboxed eventually. He had fast hands, decent technique when he wants (like vs demarco) and huge power. However, he can sometimes look wild, clumsy and sluggish.

Khan would do well for a while but Valero hit harder than maidana and Prescott so I think he would be knocked out. A rios fight would be fun while it lasts. Valero had a good chin but could be put down. Rios defends with his face and even he won't be able to take shot after shot from Edwin.

JMM, Guerrero and Gamboa would be too skilled for him IMO and could win a decision. Dont think he would be able to make welterweight without losing his power. Even Duran lost his power as he moved up but had the skill and defence to still win

He would have been pretty significant. In his last performance he showed some excellent skills in dismantling Demarco. I think Valero would have crushed the likes of Rios for instance, and given Marquez all he could handle

Would be interesting, I would class Valero as a much better fighter than Juan Diaz at Lightweight for example and much more powerful and more menacing, and would have most probably fought Marquez in a similar way than Diaz did, also think his defence is slightly under rated also, without a shadow of a doubt better than Diaz' so realistically I think he could have perhaps taken a JMM in total honesty, but it depends on how well JMM adapts if it's possible for him to do so.

I have no clue who would have won though, too many variables in my opinion.

I think that he would have had the beating of everyone at Lightweight with the exception of JMM, I have that as a very very close fight. I'm not sure he would have done much above that weight though as if he lost his power moving up he would be in a lot of trouble and at 28 or 29 years old he wasn't going to fill out any more into the weights.

Next Duran is abit far but him vs Pacquiao would have been a war and one i would have fancied Valero to win as i think he is as good a brawler with perhaps better power and skills - also agree with belchees about how close JMM fight would be, probably fancy JMM but unfortunately will never know

A lot of love for Valero in the thread. He was a million miles off being the next Duran but an exciting and intriguing fighter all the same. Would have fancied the likes of Marquez and Pacquaio to do a job on him.

Let me just add that he was a scumbag for what he did for his poor wife. But as for in ring talent; he had plenty to offer

Well he was certainly a fine fighter - the DeMarco bout suggested that he may not have been quite as much as of a flat track bully, so to speak, as some first thought.

That said, he was twenty-eight and had been campaigning at world title level for a few fights. Leopard, spots and the like spring to mind and, while his knockout run through the 'best of the rest' at 130 and 135 lb was impressive, he didn't show me enough to suggest that he could handle a real slickster or someone who could use every inch of the ring. Marquez, for instance, would have boxed rings around him, I feel, as Valero wasn't the most mobile on his feet.

His style and power would have accounted for a string of decent victims, no doubt about that, but I don't see him trampling through all and sundry with that style. The problem I have with those kind of gung-ho, gun slinging fighters is that, invariably, they end up running in to someone just that little bit harder, tougher and fearsome-punching than themselves; Cuevas met his match in Hearns, Rosario got found out against Chavez, Mugabi found that his attack, attack, attack style couldn't quite dislodge Hagler etc. We could go on all day.

No, very good fighter, outstanding puncher, but a little too limited and one-dimensional to be compared to someone like Duran. I think his career, had it continued, would have been comparable to someone like the aforementioned Rosario, particularly as he may have had to go up to Welterweight eventually in search of the really big fights.

Best 135 fighter
Top 5 140
Top 5 147

Pacquiao would have destroyed him to bits
Jmm would have worked him out towards the end, 116-112
Bradley is too skilled
Floyd Embarrasses him
Berto has stamina issues and chin issues which can put him in trouble vs Valero
Peterson - 50/50 fight
Khan - too fast and would tag him repeatedly
Ortiz if he stays there mentally right would overpower him with pure size
Maidana fight would be an absolute war
Rios, loses via TKO10 - his defence would be a problem and valero hits him clean over and over
Alexander could outbox him with speed at his best
Kotelnik would beat him in a fight similar to maidana fight
Burns would get outworked as he doesn't want to trade with a guy like valero in close decision

Overrated by those who think he would have beaten or 50/50 vs JMM, Pac ect... and walk through likes of Khan