Despite compiling a 26-0 record with 26 knockouts (the first 17 in the first round!), few boxing fans in the U.S. had ever seen Venezuelan lightweight Edwin Valero in action before last night. Now, after headlining a Showtime doubleheader, his days as an unknown in this country are officially over.

Find out why Valero's performance puts him on the short list of boxing's must-see fighters. We've also got some ideas on possible future opponents . . .

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley have reportedly agreed to terms for a welterweight title fight on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas (and on HBO PPV). It's not Manny Pacquiao-Mayweather but it's the next best thing, right? Yes ... if the fight actually takes place.

Mosley signed his contract last Friday. Five days later, Mayweather still hasn't signed. Ever the prima donna, perhaps Pretty Boy is simply stringing everyone along. Or maybe Mayweather is reconsidering risking his undefeated record against the 38-year-old Mosley. Let's hope it's the former . . .

Given the fight's uncertainty, we offer a somewhat unusual poll. If you believe the fight will take place, tell us who you think will win. On the other hand, if you believe the fight won't happen, then vote "Fight won't happen".

Example 9,287 of the adage that "old boxers are never retired, they're just between fights": former champ - and future Hall of Famer - Erik Morales intends to end his 2½-year "retirement" and return to the ring on March 27 in Monterrey, Mexico. Morales (48-6) is slated to face former lightweight beltholder Jose Alfaro (23-5).

Morales lost five of his final six bouts, including two KO losses to Manny Pacquiao, before coming to the conclusion that he had absorbed more than enough punishment over the course of his 54 bout career. El Terrible was only 30 years old at the time of his "last" bout (a 12-round decision loss to David Diaz in August 2007) but it was an extremely high mileage 30.

The time out of the ring may have helped his body heal. It may have also allowed him to forget that he had little left in the tank in his final few bouts. Or maybe he's simply bored and/or needs the money. One thing is sure - the fact that he's coming back at welterweight, a full 12 rounds above his highest previous weight, isn't a good sign . . .

New York's Madison Square Garden Theater was the site of the first significant fight card of 2010 and both headliners delivered impressive performances.

WBO junior featherweight champ Juan Manuel Lopez moved up a weight class and stopped Steven Luevano in the seventh round to take Luevano's WBO featherweight title. Late in the seventh, Luevano was dropped by a right-left combination. He beat the count but was in no condition to continue so referee Benji Esteves wisely stopped the bout with 44 seconds remaining in the round.

In the co-feature, Yuriorkis Gamboa defended his WBA featherweight title with a spectacular two round destruction of Rogers Mtagwa. Gamboa simply overwhelmed Mtagwa, dropping the Tanzanian-born challenger once in the first and twice in the second. The final knockdown prompted referee Steve Smoger to stop the fight at 2:35 of round two. In Mtagwa's previous fight, he nearly scored a late round stoppage of Juan Manuel Lopez.

Hopefully these performances will lead to a featherweight showdown between Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa in the near future, though promoter Bob Arum is likely to let public demand grow a bit more before jeopardizing either fighter's undefeated record.