Edwin Valero, WBC lightweight champion and the top-rated boxer in Venezuela, entered rehab on Sunday for the treatment of alcohol and drug addiction, according to his lawyers. The decision to enter rehab in the Venezuelan city of Merida was a part of his compliance with court orders after the boxer was detained over the assault against his wife and resisting arrest. He later tested positive for drugs and alcohol following his arrest on Thursday. The boxer was also known to be hyperactive and suffered from depression. He was detained after having an argument with a doctor and nurse in the hospital where his wife was admitted for a series of injuries, including a punctured lung and a broken rib. She supposedly got these injuries after falling down a flight of stairs while checking the water tank on the roof of their home.
Valero was also ordered to follow the rehab stint with an anger management course as soon as he leaves rehab. He has been heard accusing arresting police of coercing his wife to say that he was reason for her injuries. The boxer had just recently successfully defended his WC title by beating Mexican boxer Antonio de Marco, a win that improved his record to 27-0.
