Had Edwin Valero not had mental problems, how good could he have been?

I think it's impossible to say. He still had a lot to develop, question is would he have done so? A really good amateur career, heavy heavy handed obviously, stamina, lots of stories about sparring sessions but he also had weakness in his defence that opponents could have and did exploit at points. I think those aspects would have been increasingly capitalised on by the top level opponents. An opponent who counterpunched and moved well was much harder work for him. Mosquera gave him a real battle.

With Valero the bigger question is what should the industry and authorities have done differently? Because there were a lot of points where the authorities allowed him to get away with his behaviour. And what will be done differently with the next Valero - nothing probably. The murder of Jennifer Viera was the end of a long list of incidents and abusive behaviour that was overlooked and excused because he made people money. After the accident he probably should not even have been fighting. It really is impossible to say.

 

He didn't seem to have the style or attributes for a long career but he could have racked up a lot good scalps in a short time. Who knows how much his mental issues were stitched into his intensity and without the former the latter might not have been.

 

"The saddest thing in life is wasted talent" - Robert De Niro

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Every time I think of Valero the fact that he committed suicide comes to mind first. I don't mean to be off subject but when the concept of suicide appears it reminds me of something that happened one day while I was sitting at the bar...

Just after 11am an older man wearing a suit walked in and ordered a stiff drink. The bartender attempting to start conversation and asked why he was wearing a suit.

The man replied that he had just buried his youngest son.

The bartender's curiosity by-passed any manners he might have had and he rudely asked how did he die?

After a moment the man said he had committed suicide and followed with these words - "My sons feelings of absurdity led him to believe life was not worth living anymore."

After a moment , from across the bar a fairly intoxicated man quoted someone, not sure who but he said this - "The absurd man will not commit suicide; he wants to live, without relinquishing any of his certainty, without a future, without hope, without illusions...and without resignation either."

I'm sure there are different ways to interpret what the second man said but from my understanding he is saying - Embracing absurdity is the only way to find purpose.