The editors at CompuBox sent over this post-fight analysis and the PunchStats.

Through his first 26 fights - all of which ended by knockout - Edwin Valero proved he had all the physical skills necessary to dominate. In just 58 rounds as a pro, Valero had captured titles in two weight classes and established himself as one of boxing's most exciting campaigners.

But every fighter who strives for greatness inevitably runs into an opponent or a situation that tests an even more vital ingredient - his mettle. For the Venezuelan fireball, that test came Saturday night against Antonio DeMarco, whose elbow opened a gargantuan cut on Valero's forehead that threatened not only to end his prodigious knockout string but perhaps his title reign altogether.

It would have been easy for Valero to lose his composure and wildly chase after a spectacular knockout. But the 28-year-old South American kept his cool and methodically dismantled his ambitious 24-year-old rival, who at 5-10 stood four inches taller and whose 71-inch reach was two inches longer. In doing so, Valero showcased skills that previously had been overshadowed by his raw power while also proving himself a gritty competitor. In the end, the winner and still WBC lightweight champion found a new way to extend his knockout run. Instead of a stricken opponent lying on the canvas, a thoroughly beaten, broken and dispirited DeMarco was left sitting on his stool at the end of round nine.

How much did Valero dominate? Let the CompuBox numbers count the ways:

* Averaging 93.2 punches per round - 32 percent higher than the lightweight average of 63.7 - Valero out-landed DeMarco by a whopping 270-80 overall. Meanwhile, DeMarco's 37.2 punches per round were 42 percent below the lightweight benchmark.

* Not known as a jabber Valero nevertheless out-jabbed a converted right-hander known for his solid stick 87-47.

* The defending champion's bouquet of combinations powered a 183-33 bulge in power connects, which grew as the fight wore on while also inhibiting DeMarco's willingness to commit to power shots. DeMarco, who threw just 13.7 power shots per round, never reached double-digit connects while Valero, who plowed in 54.9 per round, surpassed that mark in all but the first, where he landed nine. In rounds five through nine, Valero pounded in 128 power connects to DeMarco's 20 while out-throwing him 285-81. All this, no doubt, hastened DeMarco's demise.

* Despite a cavernous 839-335 gulf in terms of attempted punches, Valero was the superior marksman as he landed 32.2 percent of his overall shots to DeMarco's 23.9 percent, enjoyed a 25.2-21.9 percent edge in jabs and a 37.0-26.8 percent gap in connected power punches. This is significant because most high-volume fighters sacrifice accuracy for activity but here Valero's numbers exceeded the lightweight averages in every category (30.4 percent overall, 21.9 percent in jabs and 35.8 percent in power shots).

Best yet for Valero, he showed patience in the midst of crisis as well as the dazzling footwork that inspired then-MaxBoxing editor Doug Fischer to anoint him a future great. Yes, he still has technical flaws such as keeping his hands too low, not tucking in his chin and firing punches with his mouth wide open, but those shortcomings are easily overshadowed not only by his talent but now his mental strength.

Will Valero, who has perennially been compared to Pacquiao, follow the "Pac Man's" path toward immortality. Only time will tell, but Saturday night's victory offers an encouraging indicator. Will this defeat cause DeMarco to careen toward obscurity? To avoid that fate, he must learn from Valero's example.

Full stats after the jump.

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Though he showed a ton of heart and a tremendous chin, Antonio DeMarco just didn't have enough tonight in Monterrey, quitting after nine rounds of action against WBC lightweight titlist Edwin Valero.

Valero (27-0, 27 KO) suffered an awful gash on his forehead in the second round due to an accidental elbow, which cost DeMarco a point. It was the only round of the fight I had DeMarco winning, so he even wound up even in that round. Otherwise, it was Valero's constant pressure, big left hands and ever-improving overall skill that ruled the night.

DeMarco (23-2-1, 17 KO) did not really make a bad showing for himself. At 24, he's still got a terrific future, and he probably learned plenty in this fight. And again, Valero barely budged him, and if Valero can't hurt you landing clean power shots (at least not in a major way), your chin is probably going to be good for a while.

The fight wound up being one-sided overall, but it was interesting to watch both guys operate. DeMarco just never got out of the gates offensively, while Valero simply got better as the fight went on. Eventually, DeMarco was just exhausted, and after nine rounds, they decided to stop it in his corner.

After the fight, DeMarco apologized to Valero for the elbow, and congratulated him, raising his hand when the particulars were announced by Jimmy Lennon Jr., and Valero returned the kindness by saying how much he respected DeMarco when interviewed by Steve Farhood.

In the co-feature, Carlos Abregu stayed unbeaten with a 10-round decision win over Richard Gutierrez in an action-packed fight. Both hit the canvas, Abregu in the second and Gutierrez in the third. Official scores were 98-90, 97-91 and 97-91 for Abregu. I had it a 94-94 draw, and press row on Showtime had the fight much closer than the official scores as well.

Strap in, folks, this one could get wild. In the co-feature, welterweights Carlos Abregu and Richard Gutierrez will do battle, but the main event has all sorts of interesting implications, as rising DeMarco challenges the thunderous Valero in Monterrey. The show starts on Showtime at 9pm ET.

EDWIN VALERO		ANTONIO DEMARCO
	Main Event

Tonight on Showtime Championship Boxing, unbeaten WBC lightweight titlist Edwin Valero defends his title against rising Mexican star Antonio DeMarco in what promises to be a must-see action fight from Monterrey.

Valero (26-0, 26 KO) last fought in December, dominating and stopping veteran Hector Velasquez over seven rounds. DeMarco (23-1-1, 17 KO) was last seen on Halloween night, beating Jose Alfaro by TKO in the 10th round.

One of the most interesting things to watch over the last couple of years on Showtime's boxing programs has been the improvement of DeMarco. In 2009, he posted wins over Almazbek "Kid Diamond" Raiymkulov, Anges Adjaho and Alfaro. Now, he makes another leap in class.

While DeMarco has gotten much better from the time when he was a pretty limited young brawler, the same can be said of 28-year-old Valero's improvements in the last few years. He went from urban myth to YouTube sensation to 130 and 135-pound titleholder, knocking out all 26 fighters that stepped into the ring with him, with only Vicente Mosquera ever offering much resistance at all.

Valero fought twice in 2009. His first fight came when headlined the Lightweight Lighting PPV from Texas in April, knocking out fellow slugger Antonio Pitalua in two rounds.

Valero has learned to box a little better than he used to, but make no mistake about where his number one asset will always lie: it's in his power. The Venezuelan is absolutely lethal with his fists, and nobody yet has been able to outgun him, most guys not even making it out of a round.

DeMarco is a good fighter, but is he good enough? Valero is going to hit him. Valero hits everyone. Can he hold up? I'd even say DeMarco is probably a more complete fighter than Valero is, more well-rounded. But he does not have anything in his game that matches the sheer force with which Valero can punch.

I think we're going to be in for excitement, no matter how long it lasts. It could really be a one-round fight. That's a very real possibility. I just can't see DeMarco holding up to Valero's vicious power. Valero TKO-6

On the undercard, welterweight Carlos Abregu (28-0, 23 KO) will meet Richard Gutierrez (24-3-1, 14 KO) in another fight that should provide good action. Abregu was in a four-round war last May on Shobox against Irving Garcia, and has fought just once since, in September. Gutierrez has been inactive since May and is 0-2-1 in his last three. Watching his fight last May against Antwone Smith, it seems to me that his 2008 loss to Alfredo Angulo (TKO-5) took a lot out of Gutierrez. He hung in there bravely with a tough, hard-hitting guy, and took a good beating in the process. Abregu really isn't anything to get terribly excited about, I don't think, but I've got the feeling he'll hurt Gutierrez early and get him out of there. Abregu TKO-7