Prime Edwin Valero vs prime Ricky Hatton?

...with a smile on his face that night, having taken a hype job's zero via knockout. :nod

 

Valero by KO

 

Wow. Let's get a poll up and see just how many delusional maniacs we have on here.

 

IF they could mystically meet at a neutral weight without hindering either of them, I'd take Valero. He had real one punch KO power. Hatton never had that. Hatton's chin was great, prior to Floyd, but I have to wonder whether Hatton could've survived Valero's power.

 

I will respectfully give you my opinions,

I think that Valero had excellent footwork that he did not get a chance to display very much because he could run through the weaker opposition quite easily. It wasn't until he fought a decent Demarco where he showed everyone he could really move on his feet.

Valero fought well on an angle, Hatton fought exclusively squared up. Now if the squared up guy manages to overpower the fighter who fights on an angle, he is able to fight his game and do just fine. I don't think Hatton overpowers Valero. Not because Valero is "physically strong'' but Valero hits hard as all hell.

Valero could throw his 1 + 2 on the inside before Hatton's hooks came crashing in and then counter with the 2 + 1. Now I would expect Valero to take some hard shots, but I don't think Hatton takes Valero's power. I never was impressed with Hatton's chin, I think it was "good" at best. He took right hands from Kosta Tszyu but they were 1 right hand at a time.

Valero could throw his straight left cross + right hook BEAUTIFULLY, and its that follow up right hook that I think lays Hatton on his ass.

Thats my breakdown of it. I do think that Hatton could KO him with a body shot though, so its just a matter of who lands power first, and I think Valero's straighter shots could hurt Hatton's chin.

Hatton had great footwork to apply pressure, but I think that frantic footwork would get "checked in" by Valero's power.

 

Probably my favorite moment in Edwin Valero's career had to do with the fact that he was sent home by Oscar De La Hoya for sparring his ass to hard for DLH's preparation for Pacquiao. When Valero was asked who would win "dlh or Pac" in the pre-fight press conference.... He said that Pacquiao was going to kick De La Hoya's ass because DLH didn't know how to train hard, he didn't like to run, he didn't like to spar hard which was proof as DLH send Valero home for that very point. And then the fight happens, and Pacquiao destroys his ass. I loved that lol.

 

So, basically, you're filling in the gaps with your imagination of what his footwork might have been had it ever been called for...

See, this doesn't cut it for me as proof of his excellent footwork. ANYONE is going to look a brilliant mover against DeMarco. Hell, Linares did for several rounds. If you box and move, Tony can be easy pickings and make you look twinkle-toed with his flat slow feet.

Squaring up and swarming guys who like to punch in rapid bursts while in motion (like Valero) is the bread and butter of guys like Hatton. Yes, he would've overpowered Valero in doing so. As you say, Valero wasn't physically stronger - and no, he didn't hit hard as hell. Not at 140, we have no way of knowing that. At most we can surmise it would be akin to his 135lb power - okay, not great. Less p3p than his 130lb power.

Yes, he threw most of his punches more correctly than Hatton - but he never got his middle softened up by a primo body snatcher like Rick. His more textbook head shots are going to lose steam when he starts sucking wind.

 

Sparring is just sparring, though.

Gato Figueroa claimed he kicked Cotto's ass in sparring. :conf

Paul Spadafora built a name off catching Mayweather in an off day in sparring. :conf

Neither of those guys receive the "ATG that could have been" treatment Valero gets - because neither went down the live fast/die young rock star path nor achieve the mystique he already had with lots of fans enthralled even while still alive.

Lots of gym legends aren't true. Even if they are - so what? It's just sparring.

 

WOW, now it's just easy to say such things like that.

Hatton would've kept diving in spite of the power? Why didn't that thing happened effectively against Pac?

Hatton is a face-first, no head movement fighter who only relies on clinching with so-called "in-fighting" of his. Valero has true punching power that only makes it an easy picking on who's gonna win between the two - Easier than looking at Foreman-Frazier.

And please don't use Velasquez as an example, even Pac took too long to KO him. Velasquez has a sturdy chin. Valero beating-up tomato cans is just a question of level of skills but KOing tomato cans in rd1 is not even laughable. Even from watching it there, alot would know Valero has the real deal when it comes to Power.

 

i believe the same will happen

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Yup, this is not to downgrade Pac but alot of guys here really seems underrate Valero so much as if he was just ordinary right now. Valero made Dela Hoya QUIT in a few rounds with protective headgears on. The same Dela Hoya who happens to make it 8 rounds without headgears against Pac before quiting.

Again, this isn't to downgrade Pac this is for those who underestimate Valero so much. Now he is gone, it's just easy to talk Valero's vulnerability rather than his proper strengths.

 

:rofl

Thanks alot :deal

 

Why is this even a thread? They were 2 divisions apart in their primes.

This is like comparing Thomas Hearns and Andre Ward

Anyways. Hatton wins due to being a proven elite fighter (Although he had his fair share of short comings)

To be fair though, Valero was a good fighter and had great power in his hands @ 130. (And it seemed to carry well to 135, not absurdly well but good enough to give DeMarco fits) and he gave Tony a BOXING lesson of a lifetime and beat him so bad they had to stop it at the end of 9. Valero's boxing skills were also very underrated, (He was indeed a talented boxer as well as a power puncher. Not many could have done what he did. Stopped Mosquera, DeMarco (Only Broner has been able to do this), Velasquez and Pitalua). In addition, Hatton was also weak vs Southpaws because of the unorthodox angles and such. Valero IMO probably could have exploited Hatton's weakness like Pac did, but we can't really say for sure.

Nobody can say for sure who would win in this matchup because Valero never really reached his full potential.

Still, Hatton is proven, an elite. Valero, not so much.

If they were to meet. I'd bet the farm on Hatton (If Valero moved up to 140)

 

Dude, everybody who disagree with your thoughts automatically becomes delusional for you. You're becoming close-minded for your own sake of standards

You overrate Hatton too much, that guy isn't even a HOF material as a fighter that he is. Not to say Valero is but Hatton isn't as well.

Valero KO1/KO2 just like Foreman-Frazier :deal

 

:thumbsup