Читать книгу Berserk. The Shocking Life and Death of Edwin Valero онлайн

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“I like to hit men,” Valero said years later. “It liberates me.”

Valero finished out 2002 with first-round knockouts over Danny Sandoval, Alirio Rivero, Luis Soto, and Julio Pineda.

Pineda never fought again.

Sandoval tried Valero a second time in March 2003, but again, it was lights out in one round. In May, Edgar Mendoza fell to Valero in the first.

Mendoza never fought again.

The Valero of these early fights was calm, efficient. He had a picturesque right jab. He looked like an archer when he threw it. He threw his left cross with supreme confidence. His trainer at the time was Jorge Zerpa, an experienced hand.

In May 2003, Valero was matched against Colombian Dairo Julio. Though decidedly better than Valero's previous victims, Julio failed to get out of the first round.

Valero was 8-0, with eight knockouts. A Valero representative contacted Joe Hernandez in California to assist with Valero's American debut. Remembering Valero from the 2000 Caracas tournament, Hernandez was eager to see how the kid had improved. He would soon hail Valero as the best prospect to come out of Venezuela in thirty years.