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| El Inca |
Words: Kurt Ward
Romulo Quirarte, trainer of tough Mexican lightweight Antonio DeMarco, had seen enough. After nine punishing rounds in Monterrey, Mexico his man could simply take no more. The date was February 6, 2010 and Edwin Valero, the WBC champion at 135lbs, had just won the 27th bout of his professional career. Quirarte's decision to call a halt to the bout also added DeMarco's name to a list with 26 other men who had failed to see the final bell against Valero. Hailing from Venezuela, Valero, 28, - known as El Inca to boxing fans, was in the prime of his career. He was an unbeaten two-weight title holder with a 100% knockout ratio. Turning pro in 2002, he had only boxed 64 rounds due to his incredible punching power. The win over DeMarco that night was supposed to be the start of big things after a career that had stalled and stuttered . That ninth and final round, on February 6, 2010, however, would prove to be his last.
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| Arrested for murder |
Two months later the boxing world would be stunned by the news that 24-year-old Jennifer Carolina, wife of Valero and mother of his two children, had been stabbed to death at the hotel InterContinental in the Venezuelan city of Valencia. The couple had checked into the hotel around 11:30pm after travelling from Merida. Six hours later Valero went downstairs to the front lobby and confessed to the brutal killing. He was then arrested and placed into custody.
Twenty-four hours later he, too, would be dead.
Twenty-four hours later he, too, would be dead.
The start of the rage
After competing in over 90 amateur bouts Edwin Valero was set to turn to the paid ranks but his future career - and life - was also almost ended on February 5, 2001 when he was involved in a motorcycle accident. Speaking to Doug Fischer, then of MaxBoxing.com, Valero revealed that he had been speeding, wearing no helmet and had struck the back of a car at high speed, fracturing his skull. His plan of turning professional was put on hold for over a year as he recovered from his injuries.
Finally receiving the green light from doctors in Venezuela to start his career, Valero quickly amassed twelve straight wins - all by first round knockout - before Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy promotions came calling.
Signing with such a powerful promotional outfit, who could offer him American television exposure, was what he had been waiting for. But problems, as they often did with Valero, arose immediately. Scheduled to face Francisco Lorenzo on a HBO televised card from New York, Valero failed the pre-fight medical and his career was once again thrown into doubt. The damage inflicted in the motorcycle accident four years prior, which Valero had failed to disclose to his new backers, meant that he was not fit to fight. Dr. Barry Jordan, a neurologist for the New York State Athletic Commission, suggested that Valero should retire and never fight again. His license suspended, Valero went back home unsure of whether his career was over.
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| The famous tattoo |
Despite the successes inside the ring trouble was never far away. On May 2, the same night Manny Pacquiao destroyed Ricky Hatton, Valero was arrested in Nevada for drink driving. Because of the offence he was denied a visa in the United States which prevented him from appearing on the big Pacquiao - Cotto card later that year. Valero claimed he was being treated unfairly by the U.S. because of his support for Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, yet in September '09 he was arrested in his home country on assault charges amid claims he had struck both his sister and mother.
A month before he died he was arrested again for allegedly assaulting his wife. Mrs Valero had suffered a collapsed lung and multiple bruising. She later told police the injuries were the result of a fall down stairs. Wherever he travelled trouble was a loyal passenger. It seemed to follow him his entire life.
The Nightmare
It won't come as a surprise to many that a man who had a history of drug and alcohol abuse should suffer from Paranoia. Upon waking in the early hours of April 18, 2010 after a cocaine and alcohol binge, Valero would find his wife murdered next to him. The confession he would make to hotel staff minutes after waking would later be retracted, however, and a new story, one of underworld thugs planning kidnap and murder, would emerge.
“We were driving and I had been drinking Vodka. I was drinking and drinking. All of a sudden, I realized that someone was following us. It was like 10:30 pm. I sped up until we reached a toll booth and I told the police officer that someone wanted to rob or kidnap us…I don’t remember which toll booth. After a while at the booth, he told us to go to the Hotel Intercontinental in Valencia. I went there because they were trying to kidnap me. I think they’ll find out what happened soon enough. What I would like, though, is to call my manager, Segundo Lujano. He should come.” - Valero from his cell in Carabobo.
It sounded bizarre. The mad ramblings of a desperate man trying to escape justice for a heinous crime committed against an innocent young mother. Family members believed the drink and drugs had turned him into a paranoid monster who had invented tales of plots against him and his loved one. Was it all paranoia, though? Let's rewind back.
On April 12, 2009, almost exactly a year before she was stabbed to death in a hotel room in Valencia, Jennifer Caroline was hospitalised after being shot outside the couple's home in Merida. According to a report in the Venezuelan daily Meridian, Jennifer was shot in her left thigh by unknown assailants on motorcycles. Valero, said the report, brought his wife to the hospital. The shooters were never caught.
A year later police believed they had their man. Valero, according to them, in his drug and alcohol induced state, attacked and killed his wife in their hotel room for unknown reasons. Heavy traces of cocaine would later be found in his system. Despite a huge search of the hotel and surrounding area by police the murder weapon would never be recovered.
The End
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| The Family |
using his sweatpants to hang himself in his holding cell. He was on suicide watch but it was fellow prisoners who alerted staff that something was wrong after hearing noises from the cell which held Valero. Local police chief Wilmer Flores would tell reporters that Valero still showed signs of life when he was found but attempts to save him had failed.
Legendary promoter Bob Arum, who signed Valero to a deal in early '09 and would go on to promote his last three fights, would tell reporters: "I was grooming him (Valero) as a great future opponent for Manny Pacquiao. That would have been a sensational fight.
"Next to Manny he was the most exciting fighter out there. Non-stop action. An unbelievable fight he and Pacquiao would've made.
"Now we will never know."
As Valero celebrated in the ring that night against DeMarco, for the 27th and final time of his career, the future, finally, looked so bright. His wife and two children were ringside and, in that moment of celebration, they were happy.
Tragically, that happiness would be short lived, and two months later the young family would be destroyed forever.
Contact Kurt on Twitter @BoxingAsylum
