IT appeared Edwin Valero had the world at his feet as an undefeated champion with a beautiful wife and two children.
But outside the ring he was battling a fight against drug addiction which would ultimately cost him his life.
Edwin Valero had 27 wins all by KO[/caption]
But he led a dark life in private[/caption]
Valero committed suicide in 2010[/caption]
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman told SunSport: “He had unbelievably heavy hands.
“Very unfortunately his life ended in tragedy, in controversy, but what happened inside the ring was tremendous by him. “
Valero grew up in Merida, Venezuela and began boxing at 12 in a bid to combat the anger that raged inside of him.
He had an 86-6 amateur record with 57 knockouts, winning national titles three years in a row before turning professional in 2002.
Valero broke the record by winning his first 18 fights all by KO in a display of power never-before-seen.
He was also becoming somewhat of a myth behind-the-scenes in boxing gyms, regularly KOing sparring partners in chilling fashion.
By 20 bouts, Valero was WBA super-featherweight champion and later won the WBC belt in 2009.
WBC boss Sulaiman – his father Jose in charge at the time – befriended Valero on the boxer’s rise to stardom.
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Sulaiman told SunSport: “He was very nice, very quiet. He had a great charisma, macho type, but he was a family man.”
Valero shared son Edwin Antonio and Jennifer Roselyne with wife Jennifer.
Heading into the late 2000s and Valero was making huge waves in the sport, linked with massive fights against the likes of Manny Pacquiao.
But he also led a secret life of drink and drugs, which caused a strain on his relationship.
In 2010, Valero was accused of assault after his wife was hospitalised with bruises and a damaged lung.
The feared fighter denied wrongdoing – while wife Jennifer told cops she hurt herself falling down stairs.
Valero’s troubles outside the ring also included being denied a 2009 fight on Pacquaio’s undercard after his visa was rejected due to a DUI in Texas.
The boxer continued to KO opponents around the world, from America, Asia and Mexico.
But he would celebrate with drug binges back home in Venezuela – something that would have fatal consequences.
Valero was one of boxing’s hardest hitters[/caption]
He knocked out every one of his opponents[/caption]
He was world champion in two weights[/caption]
Sulaiman said: “The sky was the limit for Valero because he was young and talented and powerful.
“Very unfortunately, he experienced the evil of cocaine. In just a short period of time, he lost his mind.”
Valero’s final fight was against Antonio DeMarco in February 2010 in Mexico – he won via ninth-round KO and retained his WBC lightweight title.
But just two months later and he was dead alongside his wife.
Sulaiman said: “After his fight in Mexico – he fought in Monterrey, Mexico – he flew back to Venezuela and some people introduced him to cocaine and he had a horrible week.
“We were contacted by his family and friends and my father was a couple of days away from getting a humanitarian visa so that he could travel to a rehab facility in the United States.
“And there was also one in Cuba that was ready to receive him. And unfortunately, history turned that way and it didn’t happen.”
Valero’s 24-year-old wife was found stabbed to death on April 18, 2010.
Valero walks after being arrested in a police station in 2010[/caption]
He would commit suicide one day later[/caption]
Valero was arrested after Jennifer’s body was discovered in a hotel in the city of Valencia, Carabobo.
The 27-0 champion – who won every fight by KO – was considered the prime suspect – but he never faced his day in court.
Valero was discovered hanging in his jail cell just a day after his arrest – committing suicide only 24 hours after allegedly killing his wife.
Reports in Venezuela claimed Valero admitted to hotel security and police that he had murdered his wife.
Jennifer’s family accused Valero of being a violent, drug-addicted bully who stopped eating or sleeping before taking it out on his wife.
Sulaiman and his dad saw Valero and his family dining out after his last fight – unaware of the horrors that would follow.
He said: “I never could have believed what happened.”
Very unfortunately his life ended in tragedy, in controversy but what happened inside the ring was tremendous by him.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman
“I was completely shocked. Heartbroken in disbelief because he was a real good friend.”
“He was a very dear, fighter, dear friend. And it’s just a tragedy.”
Both Valero and his wife had public burials in Venezuela.
Their kids were taken in by Jennifer Carolina’s sister and their daughter later took up amateur boxing in her father’s honour.
A 2016 film titled El Inca – Valero’s boxing nickname – was selected as Venezuelan entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars.
Valero’s brother-in-law – Jennifer’s brother Yoel Finol – also became a boxer and represented Venezuelan at the 2016 Olympics.
In the run up to the Rio Games, Finol revealed he had forgiven Valero for his alleged horrors and only began boxing as a kid due to his influence.
Finol is now a 3-0 pro bantamweight but he has not fought since 2020.
Valero remains the WBC’s only champion with a 100 per cent KO ratio with his career in the ring still celebrated to this day.
But the questions he left unanswered still also still remain.
Yoel Finol, left, is Valero’s brother-in-law and an Olympic boxer[/caption].
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