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Berserk: The Shocking Life and Death of Edwin Valero
"Just finished Don Stradley's book on Edwin Valero, "Berserk." Outstanding. Predictably so because 1) Don is a super writer, and 2) the story is chilling and amazing.―Steve Farhood, Showtime boxing analyst, and International Boxing Hall of Fame member
"There’s no telling what went on during the next few hours, or where his paranoia took him, but in that room something terrible happened. At 5:30 a.m. Valero appeared in the lobby. As calmly as one might order something from room service, he told the staff that he had just killed his wife."
Within the dark pages of The Shocking Life and Death of Edwin Valero , author Don Stradley uncovers the gritty details of the undefeated (27-0, 27 KO), troubled, boxer Edwin Valero.
Edwin Valero’s life was like a rocket shot into a wall. With a perfect knockout record in twenty-seven fights, the demonic Venezuelan boxer, known as “El Inca” and “El Dinamita,” seemed destined for a clash with all-time great Manny Pacquiao. But the Fates had other ideas.
Fueled by cocaine and booze and paranoia, Valero blazed into a mania that derailed his career in the ring and resulted in the brutal death of his young wife Jennifer–and soon afterward, his own. In chilling detail, Don Stradley captures one of the darkest and most sensational boxing stories in recent memory, which, until now, has never been fully told.
Filled with firsthand accounts from the men who trained Valero and the reporters who covered him, as well as insights from psychologists and forensic experts, Berserk is a hell-ride of a book.
Berserk is the first in the Hamilcar Noir series, from Hamilcar Publications. Hamilcar Noir is "Hard-Hitting True Crime" that blends boxing and true crime, featuring riveting stories captured in high-quality prose, with cover art inspired by classic pulp novels.
Perfect Gift For Boxing and True Crime Fans!
Berserk , combined with other books in the Hamilcar Noir series, makes a great gift for fans of stories about the darker side of boxing. Books in the Hamilcar Noir series also make for a great gift idea for true crime fans―whether they are a die-hard boxing fan or not, they will devour these quick reads and ask for more!
"There’s no telling what went on during the next few hours, or where his paranoia took him, but in that room something terrible happened. At 5:30 a.m. Valero appeared in the lobby. As calmly as one might order something from room service, he told the staff that he had just killed his wife."
Within the dark pages of The Shocking Life and Death of Edwin Valero , author Don Stradley uncovers the gritty details of the undefeated (27-0, 27 KO), troubled, boxer Edwin Valero.
Edwin Valero’s life was like a rocket shot into a wall. With a perfect knockout record in twenty-seven fights, the demonic Venezuelan boxer, known as “El Inca” and “El Dinamita,” seemed destined for a clash with all-time great Manny Pacquiao. But the Fates had other ideas.
Fueled by cocaine and booze and paranoia, Valero blazed into a mania that derailed his career in the ring and resulted in the brutal death of his young wife Jennifer–and soon afterward, his own. In chilling detail, Don Stradley captures one of the darkest and most sensational boxing stories in recent memory, which, until now, has never been fully told.
Filled with firsthand accounts from the men who trained Valero and the reporters who covered him, as well as insights from psychologists and forensic experts, Berserk is a hell-ride of a book.
Berserk is the first in the Hamilcar Noir series, from Hamilcar Publications. Hamilcar Noir is "Hard-Hitting True Crime" that blends boxing and true crime, featuring riveting stories captured in high-quality prose, with cover art inspired by classic pulp novels.
Perfect Gift For Boxing and True Crime Fans!
Berserk , combined with other books in the Hamilcar Noir series, makes a great gift for fans of stories about the darker side of boxing. Books in the Hamilcar Noir series also make for a great gift idea for true crime fans―whether they are a die-hard boxing fan or not, they will devour these quick reads and ask for more!
112 pages, Paperback
First published November 12, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 2, 2025
Being a sports fan is fucking hard sometimes. And the worst thing is that even when you learn what pieces of shit your heroes are you're first concern is what you've missed out on as a fan, not what damage they've done to those around them... Prime Valero vs Pacquiao would've been an amazing fight though :-)
January 20, 2020
Great understand of Valero’s life and the events surrounding it. Really enjoyed getting to know more about a terrific fighter. Just a few minor details that should have been fact checked but hardly noticeable compared to others which I have read.
January 6, 2020
Solid read, like a long-form essay. Felt like I got a great sense of Valero and his problems in fewer than 100 pages. Highly recommended.
February 2, 2020
Fascinating mini biography.
May 3, 2020
"A Rorschach test written in blood", as author Don Stradley has it. That was the mad, ill-fated, heavy-handed berserker from Venezuela who blew through the pro ranks of the boxing world for a short time in the early 2000s. Edwin Valero emerged seemingly from nowhere, or rather from the cliched "cradle of champions" that were the slums of South America to rattle off a string of brutal early knockouts of over-matched opponents in fights that tickled the fancy of armchair sadists, but didn't do much to earn the interest of the purists.
But as the bodies dropped before Valero in the ring, and his knockout count kept rising, the quality of the opposition rose, as well. And the good fighters (like Antonio DeMarco) went the way of all flesh, getting hammered into submission by Edwin Valero's blitzkrieg assault just like the tomato cans and jobbers (albeit in the latter rounds rather than in the first). Hardcore fans and those not given to immediate hyperbole started taking note, and the gyms and internet forums were percolating with talks of a potential clash down the line between the man some called "El Inca" and pound-for-pound star Manny Pacquiao.
But then, life got in the way for Valero. Or rather, death did. He murdered his wife and then committed suicide in an operatic, blood-soaked act that was, in some ways, the culmination of every bloody blow that had accrued to his legend before this, the final act of destruction.
Don Stradley's short book is a straightforward biography that takes the reader through the broad strokes of a very short and violent life. It's not pretty, and it's not all that complicated, either, but it warrants attention in the same way a car crash elicits a weirdly voyeuristic reaction from even the most recalcitrant rubberneckers. I felt entertained while reading it, and dirty afterwards, which I think was the intent.
Some photos included. Recommended.
But as the bodies dropped before Valero in the ring, and his knockout count kept rising, the quality of the opposition rose, as well. And the good fighters (like Antonio DeMarco) went the way of all flesh, getting hammered into submission by Edwin Valero's blitzkrieg assault just like the tomato cans and jobbers (albeit in the latter rounds rather than in the first). Hardcore fans and those not given to immediate hyperbole started taking note, and the gyms and internet forums were percolating with talks of a potential clash down the line between the man some called "El Inca" and pound-for-pound star Manny Pacquiao.
But then, life got in the way for Valero. Or rather, death did. He murdered his wife and then committed suicide in an operatic, blood-soaked act that was, in some ways, the culmination of every bloody blow that had accrued to his legend before this, the final act of destruction.
Don Stradley's short book is a straightforward biography that takes the reader through the broad strokes of a very short and violent life. It's not pretty, and it's not all that complicated, either, but it warrants attention in the same way a car crash elicits a weirdly voyeuristic reaction from even the most recalcitrant rubberneckers. I felt entertained while reading it, and dirty afterwards, which I think was the intent.
Some photos included. Recommended.
October 12, 2021
The other reviews do it justice . It’s a decent enough read into a sad story. Can’t help but feel really bad for poor Jenifer who is really a bit part in the whole awful saga . May she rest in peace .
December 18, 2020
Compelling read. Such tragic losses.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews