Valero had been detained less than 24 hours earlier on suspicion of killing his wife. Police, reportedly acting in response to Valero telling hotel security that he had killed his wife, found the body of 20-year-old Jennifer Viera in Valero's room with three stab wounds.
In the ring, Valero was well on his way to fame and fortune with a perfect 27-0 record - all by knockout - and a crowd-pleasing, all-action style. A big money bout with pound-for-pound champ Manny Pacquiao seemed a realistic possiblity. In what turned out to be his final bout, Valero retained his WBC light weight title with an exciting ninth-round TKO of Antonio DeMarco on February 6, 2010 in Monterrey, Mexico.
Outside the ring, however, Valero's life has been filled with trouble. A 2001 motorcycle accident caused a cerebral hemorrhage which made it difficult for Valero to get licensed in many jurisdictions. A drunk driving charge in Texas led to Valero being denied a U.S. visa. As a result, most of his recent bouts have taken place in Mexico, Venezuela and Japan.
In recent months, Valero's life seemingly spiraled out-of-control with charges of harassing his wife, threatening medical personnel who were treating his wife for assorted injuries, including a punctured lung and broken ribs, and violating a restraining order barring him from going near his wife. Valero had also battled and reportedly received treatment for substance abuse and anger management issues.
Tragically, Valero is the third former world champion boxer within the past year whose death was ruled a suicide. Jast July, Hall of Famer Alexis Arguello, the mayor of Managua, Nicaragua, was found dead at his home with a gunshot wound to the chest. Only weeks later, Arturo Gatti was found strangled in a Brazilian resort town. Gatti's wife was initially arrested as the only suspect in his death, but authorities later ruled that Gatti had committed suicide. The suicide rulings in both the Arguello and Gatti cases were controversial and continue to be disputed.
