BoxingScene.com spoke with Top Rank CEO Bob Arum about the future of WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero. The unbeaten puncher from Venezuela made a successful defense of his title on Saturday night in Monterrey, Mexico. Before a hostile Mexcian crowd, Valero, with a huge gash on the right side of his head, dominated interim-champion Antonio DeMarco for nine rounds. DeMarco's corner stopped the fight before the start of the tenth.
Valero's goal continues to be a fight with WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao. In order to reach that goal, Valero's next fight might take place in the junior welterweight division. Arum wants Valero to fight some of the better names at 140, including unbeaten WBO champion Timothy Bradley.
"Valero is a very smart guy. He has a real goal. He wants to fight Manny Pacquiao and that's the reason he went with us. But to fight Manny Pacquiao he has to prove himself at 140. He has to get a visa. I won't have any problem getting him licensed in Nevada now that they changed the rule. It used to be where, if you had a bad [MRI] result, you were out. They changed that and Valero's MRIs are perfect," Arum said to BoxingScene.
"The plan would be to move to 140. He's having trouble at 135. He would go up to 140 and fight some good junior welterweights - like Timothy Bradley."
Arum was impressed with Valero's performance on Saturday. He displayed his ability to box in a fight where most expected DeMarco to play the role of the boxer.
"He has balls, maybe too much balls. Valero showed that he has a lot more boxing skill than people thought. A fight between him and Manny would be f**king unbelievable," Arum said.
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