LAS VEGAS – It’s not surprising at all to hear Edwin Valero say that he wants to fight Manny Pacquiao.
But what’s surprising is when the Venezuelan knockout artist who helped Oscar dela Hoya train for Saturday’s fight said he sees Pacquiao winning by knockout.
He spilled a few beans along the way.
“Yes, I’m with Golden Boy I know but my prediction is Pacquiao by knockout,” he said with a straight face.
Valero, who has won all his 24 fights by knockout, the first 19 coming in the first round, said he only sparred eight rounds with Dela Hoya in training camp because he was pushed out.
“They only let me spar eight rounds because I hurt him a lot. The black-eye (which Dela Hoya wore when he faced the media a few weeks ago) that’s what I did,” said Valero.
But Dela Hoya said it was another sparring mate, Victor Ortiz, who gave him the shiner under his left eye.
“Ortiz? No it was me. Ask Oscar who did it. Ask Oscar. Oscar is lying. I got kicked out after I did that to Oscar. Pacquiao is going to knock Oscar out,” he added through an interpreter.
Then he claimed that Dela Hoya never worked hard in training.
“Oscar doesn’t like to run in the workout. He was upset about what happened that’s why he’s talking like that. Pacquiao has a very good chance of knocking him out,” he said, adding that sooner or later he wants to face Pacquiao.
“I’ve been waiting for years. I will fight him at 135 or 140 if he wants to.” – Abac Cordero