By Geno McGahee
In the infancy of YouTube, a star was born. The Venezuelan power puncher, Edwin Valero, 27-0, 27 KO’s, was an attraction with power in both hands. He stormed on the scene and the demand arose for a showdown with the Filipino star, Manny Pacquiao. It seemed inevitable that the two would eventually meet in a high profile showdown, but it was never to be. In 2010, the boxing world would be in for a shock as well as the entire population of Venezuela. The champion. The man that would give Pacquiao a competitive fight. The champion, Edwin Valero, was charged with the murder of his wife, confessed, was arrested, and then committed suicide. This was a shock to the public and boxing fans, but not to those that knew him.
In the book: BERSERK: THE SHOCKING LIFE AND DEATH OF EDWIN VALERO” by Don Stradley, we see the building blocks that led to the madness that would write the rest of Valero story. His obsession with his wife, the drugs and alcohol and the rocky past were all contributing factors, but there was much, much more.
The book is a study of the human nature, the sport, and the relationship between an abusive husband and his beaten wife. Valero had a lot of support and admiration but the dark side of him is on full display here.
I highly recommend this book. As a former fan of Valero, this proved very insightful and interesting and a very easy read. I would have loved to see what would have happened had he not done the things he did. The fight with Manny Pacquiao, what happened there, what happened next, but it was never to be. The darkness of the streets, drugs and much more controlled Valero. This is a great book that breaks it all down in great fashion. Stradley did a great job in presenting the story and bringing the reader back to the day when Valero was the YouTube sensation and potential future big thing in the sport.
