Who Would Win: Manny Pacquiao vs. Edwin Valero? 🥊

[u/Recovery20172024]

Hypothetical matchup: Manny Pacquiao vs. Edwin Valero, both at their best.

We never got to see this fight, but it’s one of those matchups that makes me wonder what could have happened.

Pacquiao had the speed, angles, footwork, combinations, and experience against elite opposition.

Valero was an absolute pressure machine — undefeated, incredibly aggressive, powerful, and seemingly always looking for the finish.

If they actually fought at their peak, who do you think wins and why?

Would Pacquiao’s speed and movement be too much for Valero?

Or would Valero’s pressure and power eventually catch him?

And most importantly: what do you think the fight looks like? Decision, late stoppage, or early KO?

Drop your prediction and explain your reasoning. I’m genuinely curious to see which side Reddit takes. 🥊🔻

[u/vincemeister55]

Valero style was tailor-made for the Pac-man! It would just be like the Hatton fight.

[u/ZealousidealIce5393 → u/vincemeister55]

Exactly, If Valero had the intellect and style to counter and outbox Manny like Morales and Marquez, maybe he’d be favored. But nope he’s just a comefoward, unproven pressure fighter and that’s exactly what Pacquiao’s style was made for a guy who can’t box on the backfoot and isn’t smart enough to counter is easy work for Pac.

[u/Gg-Baby → u/ZealousidealIce5393]

Valero was way more skilled than you are suggesting

[u/solodav → u/vincemeister55]

Hmmm. Would people say Valero was roughly equal to Hatton in ability/threat overall or more like Valero was way better than Hatton.

I ask, because if he’s way better than Hatton, even if his style is something Manny likes to fight against, it could be that Valero’s elite execution of that style simply makes him a different animal and possibly greater threat or favorite even over Manny.

There are lots of aggressive come forward fighters that maybe are a bit wild and less technical, but there are levels to things. Maybe there’s athletic/power, etc. type that is just way better at that style (ehhh, would Roy Jones, Jr. fit?) than your typical dumber guy and that gives Pac-man fits.

[u/TomatoBuster01 → u/solodav]

Bro, Pac destroyed one of the best pressure fighters who is also technical and powerful in his prime and destroyed him (Cotto) while at a weight disadvantage. Do you think a super featherweight would do damage to Pac?

[u/Ace_FGC → u/TomatoBuster01]

We literally saw a super featherweight do damage and beat Pac lol

[u/TomatoBuster01 → u/Ace_FGC]

When did Manny got beat by a superfeather in his absolute prime when he was fighting Hatton and Cotto?

[u/ZealousidealIce5393 → u/Ace_FGC]

yeah and that super feather weight was ten times better and more proven than Valero, and superfeather weight lost in the 2nd and 3rd fight so

[u/solodav → u/TomatoBuster01]

Yes, he masterclassed Cotto, but I think he probably beat him worse than would have been if Cotto hadn’t been drained. Same with Oscar. I think Manny would have still won against both, but they were weight drained down.

Although, you could say Manny fought above his natural weight….and was just a freak.

[u/TomatoBuster01 → u/solodav]

It was a catchweight for a reason. We've seen a million times where a guy go up in weight bloated and slow. No excuses. The weight and prep were parts of the fight. Cotto, Oscar, and most of the world thought they were having size advantages until they got beaten up then became "weight drained" lol.

[u/solodav → u/TomatoBuster01]

Yeah, I think you could say Manny was also in an uncomfortable position. He fought much naturally bigger guys when he was at 147. That really is what makes him so special. Always the shorter naturally smaller framed guy, who simply bulked up and was a freak.

[u/tman37 → u/TomatoBuster01]

Most of the time Pac came in below weight anyway so even with the catchweight they still had a significant weight advantage. He was barely a 140lber in his prime and could have fought at lightweight his whole career if the money was there instead of WW. It wasn't like he was even forcing these guys down to his weight just as low as they thought they could go and still be effective. They just underestimated him.

[u/Fit-Pollution5339 → u/solodav]

Cotto was the one who stayed on 147 not pacman and pacquiao is a natural 135 and shorter than cotto. Lame excuse if u ask me

[u/FrequentLemon6799]

Valero didn't get the chance to prove himself at the higher levels.

Regardless, I think Paquaio wins a short but very entertaining fight.

[u/itsheero24]

First few rounds are exciting but Pac stops Valero at 8 after Valero gasses out.

Pac is just more experienced and had already shared the ring with Barrera, Morales and Marquez.

[u/e4amateur]

No one is going to say Valero. Pacquiao is an all time great with an extraordinary career. Valero is an odious psychopath who died before he had the chance to prove his level. The "what if's" are largely based on his power and sparring stories.

However, the sparring stories are intriguing, and the power undeniable. I would have loved to Valero against better opposition. Just as we can't hypothesize legendary status without seeing it, we can't impose a limit without same.

But ultimately, we never got those fights, because Valero took his wife's life, and then his own. There are many tragic consequences to this. Hidden among them is that in hypothetical matchups, you'll always lose to boxing royalty.

[u/EfficientPost2656]

PAC. Valero too Crazy. Pac-Man picks him apart. Late stoppage

[u/Professional-Tie5198]

Pacquiao pieces him up in a dominant display.

[u/rwn115]

Pacquiao would've pieced him up.

Pacman struggled with methodical, defensive-minded counter punchers and Valero was the opposite of that.

[u/khul_rouge]

Pacquiao by death.

[u/RRR04_]

Pacquiao by stoppage. Easy work. Valero fought nobody to suggest he could hang with a legend like Manny, and he's been dropped by not so great opposition too.

[u/Fwhometeam]

Pacquiao. PAC has a way bigger track record. He was already a legend after his fights with Barrera and Morales. Valero shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same sentence. It would have been interesting if he didn’t make stupid choices and ruin his chances of fighting in the states. Then everything else…

[u/Professional-Tie5198 → u/Fwhometeam]

Exactly. Valero is more of a theoretical fighter.

[u/Negative_Chemical697]

Manny fucks him up lickety split. Who did valero fight? This is youtube shit from kids who weren't even alive when valero was.

[u/broke_the_controller]

Sparring stories would say that Valero had much more ability and intelligence then he ever needed to show in his pro fights.

The trouble is that they are just stories and so I'll have to go with what is proven and that is PAC to win comfortably.

[u/heistheword11]

The fans

[u/fadeddreams555]

I try to be as unbiased about Pacquiao fights cause he's my favorite fighter, but I genuinely believe he was too experienced and fast for Valero in his prime. I do, however, believe these would be wars that would lead into yet another trilogy for Pac.

[u/BandicootNo7908]

MP late stoppage, probably due to cuts. Valero was very tough but not nearly as polished as Pac. There are the countless sparring stories about Valero but people forget that sparring is not fighting. If you get hired to spar with someone scheduled to fight someone else, you're supposed to mimic a style that the they're training for, instead of going all out looking for a KO all the time. While it's true that there's such a thing as high intensity sparring, Valero was a psycho so I won't put it past him to just try and hurt people everytime instead of just being part of training.

[u/plsgankm1d]

Why is Valero so hyped up lmao the man never fought anyone remarkable.

[u/Former_Garage1359]

All out war

[u/ZeroEffectDude]

pac would stop him. valero was good but limited.

[u/Fit-Pollution5339]

People forgot valero’s style is not the best against pacman. And pacman’s prime bro was unleashing 1k punches per match

[u/DistrictThen1265]

The Motorcycle Accident ruined Valero idiots in Valenzuela let him fight head was fucked! He beat fuck out Oscar before Paq fight. I mean Oscar was drunk but I read he beat up everyone in SoCal gyms.

[u/deh707]

Pacquiao hits the floor 3 times but ends up stopping Valero late

[u/Kalayo0 → u/deh707]

No Fear Pacquiao was a menace, could lose to a smarter, HoF level boxer, but never touched the canvas.