Would have loved to see Pacquaio-Valero!! Valero's style was similar to Pac which was why Morales chose him as a sparring partner to get ready for him. And that fight was super close to getting made too, before that idiot did what he did.
Valero really showed his skill in sparring, you could see the quality of the footwork, coordination and combination punching.
I'm surprised how Valero's legend has grown since he passed away. He was a guy with thudding power, no doubt, but his defense left a lot to be desired. He was more in the mold of a powerful slugger than a boxer-puncher. I remember the proposed matchup between him and Pacman at 135 or 140 lbs. That wouldn't have ended well for Valero. I will say it was a shame what happened to him. His win over Demarco was his crowning achievement professionally, and while he more than likely would've gotten battered by Manny, he could've carved out a nice resume for himself at 135 lbs. He was an entertaining, action pack fighter.
I was under the impression his win over Demarco is what showed his critics that he was a well rounded boxer rather than "just a puncher".
He definitely wasn't a well rounded boxer. That record he had is fool's gold; him beating Tony was supposed to be the start of him taking on top tier competition. He would've been steamrolled by Pacman. Valero had very little defense and he was a bit crude stylistically. I think he could've done well at LW but he would've had some tough tests in Juan Diaz and Marquez. Don't get me wrong, he was a good fighter but he wasn't as promising as some make him out to be. The Pacman fight would've been fun for however long it lasted, but Edwin couldn't beat Pacman in general, let alone a prime Pac.
Valero doesn't beat Pacman no doubt. But it takes more than being a good boxer to do that. However the video clearly shows. at 12-0 and 21 years of age he could give Morales some work. Morales at his best is on even ground with Pacquiao IMO. He was 28 and 7 years more experienced when the Pac fight was on the table.
