Ray William Johnson: True Story Podcast - He's The World's Most Dangerous Man // The Edwin Valero Murder Story

Episode Date: June 5, 2026

Edwin Valero was a Venezuelan professional boxer who finished his career with an undefeated record of 27–0, winning every single match by knockout. He is remembered both as one of the most explosive and destructive punchers in the history of combat sports and for the horrific real-life tragedy that ended his life.

Visit BetMGM Casino and check out the newest exclusive. The Price is Right Fortune Pick. BetMGM and GameSense remind you to play responsibly. 19 plus to wager. Ontario only. Please play responsibly. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to you, please contact connects Ontario at 1-866-531-2,600 to speak to an advisor,

free of charge. BetMGEMGEMP operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming, Ontario. He could have been the best in the world, but he screwed it all up. Now, the guy's name is Valero. Valero is 19 when this story starts, living in Venezuela, and Valero is really, really good at boxing. He's one of Venezuela's top amateur boxers, and he's won three national championships,

and he's decided it's time to go pro and compete with other talented boxers all over the world. But then, in 2001, something terrible happens that changes his life forever. One day he's riding a motorcycle around without a helmet, and that's when scoo-ca-boom! He gets into an accident and he smashes his head and fractures his skull. And so he has to be rushed to the hospital. And there, doctors find out that he's suffering from a cerebral hemorrhage, which means that

there is bleeding in his brain. So now he has to undergo surgery and get a metal plate in his head. And for a boxer like Valero, this is extremely serious. A major head injury is something that could easily stop him from ever being cleared to fight again. Not only that, but after this accident, people around him notice his personality starts to change. Like he's having these big mood swings, he's a bit more paranoid about things. It's almost like he's a different person. Regardless, he manages to recover physically from his accident and doctors clear him to return to boxing.

So in 2002, he returns to the ring and he officially turns. Pro. And he wins his first 18 professional fights, all by knockouts and all in the first round. And knocking all these people out in the first round helps create a lot of hype around his name. Then in 2004, Valero tries moving his career to the United States, because that is where the money is. And if you're going to make a name for yourself in boxing, the United States is the place to do it. However, he runs into a problem. During a routine MRI scan, doctors find a blood clot in his brain from the motorcycle accident years earlier. And so the New York State Athletic Commission refuses to clear him to fight because they believe the injury makes boxing far too dangerous for him.

And of course, this is devastating for Valero. I mean, he's been working his whole life for this and now they're just going to take it away. Well, this isn't going to stop a guy like him. The United States isn't the only country in the world. So he starts traveling around, fighting in other countries that are willing to license him, like Japan and Mexico and Panama and Argentina and France and a lot of places. And a few years go by. So it's now 2006.

And this is when he wins his first world title. Then later, he wins another one. And throughout all this, Valero is becoming really popular. And he builds a reputation as one of the most dangerous men in boxing. and he becomes like really famous in Venezuela, so famous that he even becomes close friends with the president of the country, Hugo Chavez. And Hugo Chavez publicly praises him and treats him like a national hero and he like gives him a national hero award.

So as you can see, by this point, Valero has everything going for him. Or does he? See, here's the thing about Valero. He's long had a superiors. serious drug and alcohol problem going all the way back to his teenage years. And his recent fame has only made his addiction worse. Like he's constantly abusing cocaine and heroin and other drugs. And over time, this really affects his mental state.

And remember, he was already messed up mentally from that motorcycle accident years before. Well now he starts getting more paranoid. He's always convincing himself that people are trying to kill him. And like sometimes he'll speed, recklessly through the streets because he believes cars are chasing him when they really aren't. He also engages in all kinds of risky behavior. Like he drives drunk and he drives high and he carries illegal firearms. He gets arrested multiple times for DUI and he has lots of legal issues.

And as time goes on, his behavior continues to get worse because Valero becomes more and more violent. not just towards guys he's fighting in the ring, but towards people around him. Sometimes he even gets aggressive with his own family members. Allegedly at one point he punches his own sister and his own mother. He's also married, and sometimes he gets violent with his wife. Now, his wife is this woman, Jennifer. And apparently, whenever Valero is drunk or high, he gets abusive toward Jennifer. And he threatens her, and sometimes he beats her, sometimes he forces her to take

drugs with him, it is terrible for her. And this pattern of behavior goes on for years, with Valero constantly breaking laws, abusing drugs and alcohol, and just living his life completely out of control. Then, in 2010, things get really wild. Because one day, I guess Valero is high on drugs, and he gets into some kind of argument with Jennifer. And pretty quickly, it turns into a fight and bam, he starts attacking her repeatedly. And when he's done, he ends up fracturing her ribs. He also punctured her lungs and injured her chest. And at some point during this, I guess he starts to realize how badly she's hurt and that she

needs medical attention. So he puts her in the car and he drives her to the hospital. However, somewhere along the way, I guess he starts panicking. And suddenly he gets out of the car and he just runs away and he leaves her there. the car. Now eventually she somehow makes it to the hospital and she gets treatment and she starts to recover. Five days later, Valero shows up to the hospital and he's completely wasted out of his mind. He's drunk or high or both. He's on something. And he demands to see Jennifer. But the hospital staff, they say no, because I guess they can clearly see that he's intoxicated and he's causing

a scene. And this is when he starts flipping the fuck out. out and the staff gets all scared and they call the police. And so, bam, Valero is arrested. Here's his mugshot. And at some point, after this, he contacts Jennifer and her family and he tells them not to tell police that he beat her up. Otherwise, he says he'll kill them. So when police go to talk to Jennifer,

she doesn't tell them that Valero beat her. She tells them that she accidentally fell down the stairs. So police can't convict him and he, I guess, gets away with it. However, by this point, the whole wife beating scandal story has broken publicly, and it's all over the news, because remember, he's super famous in Venezuela. I mean, he's still their best boxer, and he's champion, he's undefeated, 27 wins, zero losses with 27 knockouts. He's a big deal there. And so this story blows the fuck up. It's everywhere, and it's all embarrassing for Valero, because now the public knows that he's an abuser and a drug.

drug addict. And so Valero's friend, Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, he decides to step in and help out. And he helps arrange for Valero to be sent to Cuba to attend some kind of drug rehab program. But Valero, he isn't about to go spend a couple of months in Cuba and no drug rehab. No, fuck all that. So instead of getting on his scheduled flight, he rents a car and he loads it up with a ton of cash and cocaine, and he somehow convinces Jennifer to leave with him. and the two of them quickly pack all their things and they take off together and they flee to a completely different city. Later that night, they check into a local hotel and inside that hotel room, Valero goes right back to getting high on something. Then, eventually, for some reason, he and Jennifer get into another argument and this argument quickly gets heated.

And this is when Valero just snaps. and he grabs a knife and boom, he stabs her. And then he does it again and again and again. And sadly, Jennifer doesn't survive this. After that, Valero walks down to the hotel lobby and he tells the hotel receptionist what he just did and the receptionist calls the police. And so, bam, Valero is arrested again.

A few hours later, he's sitting in a jail cell and there he unalives himself.