Rocky VII: Starring...Edwin Valero?

It has the feel of a Rocky movie the way Edwin Valero exploded onto the American boxing scene Saturday night in devastating knockout fashion.

While all of the established boxers sit safely atop the pound-for-pound rankings, sizing each other up in terms of paydays, Valero expanded the big picture as if it were the big screen.

We might have a new most feared fighter in boxing.

He's not from a traditional boxing powerhouse with a huge fanbase. He's not from a mainstream boxing circuit.

He's come out of nowhere, basically from YouTube, and so far lived up to the hype. Maybe he surpassed it.

To continue with the Rocky movie storyline, there was a time when Manny Pacquiao was the diamond in the rough underdog with incredible speed and power, turning his respective divisions upside down, with little to no skill.

Those days are gone. It's no longer Manny the underdog from the gutters of the Philippines. It's "King Manny." He's surrounded himself with a princess, a queen, and a ton of skills.

King Manny gets what he wants. His star power is large enough to let him butt heads with larger stars or equals in purse negotiations and still be taken seriously.

He's not only arrived; he's parked his car, too.

Right when everyone's figured out how the year in boxing would proceed, here comes this slugger from Venezuela throwing a monkey wrench in everyone's plans.

Everyone not named Bob Arum of Top Rank, at least.

After Valero's annihilation of Antonio Pitalua in a round and a half, nobody seemed to want to fight him.

Arum commented that a fight with rising star Amir Khan, promoted by Frank Warren, will probably not happen, and he wants to build Edwin more before a fight with Pacquiao himself.

Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions apparently has other plans for "The Baby Bull" Juan Diaz, and prefers Juan Manuel Marquez fight Pacquiao before Valero.

Valero gives Arum one more pawn to use in the Marquez-Pacquiao chess match with rival promotion company Golden Boy. The problem is, it could also create another stalemate in their long-running game.

Make no mistake about it; there are huge holes in Valero's game. It just hasn't mattered yet since he's fought no one of consequence.

For the first round against Pitalua, the Venezuelan seemed to lead with his gaping opened mouth as much as his fists, which were up only to do damage.

A top pound-for-pound boxer would have no trouble capitalizing on this. But then what?

No one knows what would happen if Valero were to get hit hard and often in the face with his mouth open. He's never fought anyone who could get past his offensive onslaught.

Is his power so great that he'd simply get picked off for five rounds before landing the big one and finishing the fight?

Or would he get frustrated, start swinging wilder yet, leaving him even more vulnerable, before getting a taste of his own medicine?

Is Edwin Valero the next Prince Naseem Hamed, or is he the next Manny Pacquiao?

It's a big question and I don't think anyone is really to keen to find out at the moment.

The up-and-coming fighters—a la Juan Diaz, Amir Khan, and Kendall Holt—wouldn't want their careers slowed down anymore than what's already happened. And the established stars like Marquez and Pacquiao have too much to risk losing on a lucky punch.

I'm not saying none of these guys would fight Valero. They're all warriors who fear no man. Probably all of them would take the fight if the playing field were equal.

But in terms of money and legacy, it's not.

Marquez does not want to lose Pacquiao, and Pacman does not want to lose everything—At least not to a lion younger and hungrier than himself.

He'd prefer someone richer.

I'm sure Valero will get his fights, but it might take a few more open-house demolitions before people feel he's earned a shot at the big names. Or at least before the big names feel so.

So for every Rocky movie where someone younger and hungrier or just plain crazier entered the plot, we might have a new script coming to life.

I can't tell you who's the protagonist and who's the antagonist. That's the beauty of it.

Some will envision Marquez heroically disposing of the young challenger first, leading to an epic trilogy with Pacquiao where the proud Mexican does right by his fans and decapitates the “Mexecutioner.”

Pacquiao fans will see Pacman kicking both their butts in no particular order, before or after a big payday with Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

Ricky Hatton should be beaten into Oscar De Le Hoya's loving arms, by that time, as the fourth semi-retired member of the Golden Boy Promotions team.

And yet there's a third path this might take.

What if Valero is the one we should all be cheering for? What if he's the one who will lead boxing into the next decade?

Right now that seems ridiculous based on his lack of any concern for defense. But what if someone did a Freddie Roach on him?

Could it be? Could Valero be the Rocky coming up from the bottom to take out the top?

Or is Manny the Rocky who defends his honor and country from all comers?

Is Juan the Rocky who's victorious in the end?

Does Valero even matter?

I think I just made a poll.