Excellent read on Valero

http://www.maxboxing.com/Fischer/Fischer010307.asp

Just some excerpts.....

Valero’s storied sparring sessions at various Southern California gyms are the primary reason I had – and still have – so much belief in him and his potential. Unfortunately, only a handful of Los Angeles-area boxers, boxing trainers, gym rats, and writers witnessed Valero’s sparring sessions vs. the likes of Juan Lazcano, Mike Anchondo, Urbano Antillon, Jose Armando Santa Cruz, and Jesus Soto-Karass on a regular basis when the ‘V-nom’ was based in Southern California from mid-2003 to early 2005.

However, now that Valero is under promotional contract with Akihiko Honda, the president of Teiken and perhaps the most influential and respected man in Japanese boxing, living in Tokyo and training at the Teiken gym, others are getting a look at “my son” – and becoming believers.

Mr. Honda, who had his doubts about Valero even after signing him, is a believer after witnessing many days of his two-month training camp, which included around 190 rounds of sparring.

“Valero’s the best of all the world champions I’ve seen train at [the Teiken] gym,” Honda said, which is high praise considering that the Teiken Boxing Club, which was founded in 1925 by his father, is the oldest in the country and has been the home of not only the best fighters from Japan but to many world champions from other nations who made their way through the Land of the Rising Sun such as Mike Tyson back in 1988 and ’90.

Joe Koizumi is another recent Valero convert. The Tokyo-based veteran boxing scribe (manager and matchmaker) penned a feature for Fightnews.com last month entitled “Valero looks monsterous!” in which he detailed some of the Teiken gym sparring action between Valero and his own fighter Randy Suico, a recent lightweight title challenger, and Mexico’s Arturo Moura, who will fight WBC 140-pound titlist Junior Witter in two weeks.

“…this reporter has watched [Valero’s] tremendous physical energy in his 12-round sparring sessions straight on several occasions,” Koizumi wrote. “Valero is not only a hard-hitter but also a smart footworker… the Venezuelan showed he could take punch and cleverly moved his position not to receive any follow-up combinations with quick sidestepping or circling. He apparently dominated all sparring sessions without doubt. [He] visibly made a rapid progress in combination punching and defensive skills.”

After watching one particular session, veteran trainer Manny Siaca Sr., who was in town work Juan Landaeta’s corner for the Venezuelan’s rematch with Japanese star Koki Kameda, told Honda that Valero “can beat every top fighter in the world from 130 to 140 pounds”.

“At the time he told me, I believed him,” said Honda the day before Valero’s fight with Lozada. “But a week later, in the later part of December, Valero changed. He stopped boxing in the sparring sessions. I’m not so sure if THAT Valero can beat the best in his division, never mind the higher weight classes.

“I’m not sure which Valero will show up tomorrow.”