Valero by stoppage. Much of a piece of shit as Valero was, he was good enough to have ruled 135, and possibly made some noise at 140. I see Kat walking into too many of Valero's awkward bombs, and getting stopped. Damn, put Kat in a MM he would win. Vs like Spadafora or something.
I could see Spaddy outboxing Kat for most of the fight, but getting caught and stopped late. I was never a believer in Spaddy's chin after the Sosa fight. But if he's in Pito Cardona form, I admit it'd be a tough night for Kat. I tend to think that Haugen was better then both. Greg just had the misfortune of fighting in a lightweight era that had Chavez, Rosario, Camacho, and later Whitaker in it. But he still he managed to beat Paz the first two times, beat Jimmy Paul who's a very underrated lightweight champion, and did manage to edge out a past primmed Camacho.
The jury will always be out on Valero though, and how good he coulda been, similar to Tony Ayala. Though I believe as a fighter, Ayala was more talented then Valero. All I know as that prior to his death, virtually NOBODY thought Kat would win. But since he killed himself, and Kat destroys that fraud Kevin Mitchell, opinions change.
Agree Ayala was more talented, because Valero was shit. I would have given Katsidis a very good chance of beating Valero also, I never got the hype. Khan would have battered him too.
Ayala was more dangerous because he was a bigger puncher, and more vicious. Valero did have more upside though, cause he's in a weaker era. Ayala would have had to deal with Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran, Moore, and Benitez. Put a young Ayala in the current 154 scene and he has more upside.
