Former WBA super-featherweight and WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero is being held by police on suspicion of killing his wife.

The controversial Venezualan had threatened to de-rail his promising career in the past with numerous brushes with the law, and is reported to have admitted to stabbing his 24-year-old wife Jennifer in a hotel in Valencia.

The Venezuelan fighter - who was being lined up as Manny Pacquiao's next opponent - has suffered in the past from drug and alcohol problems, and was detained in March for mistreating his wife.

The 28-year-old, who has knocked out each of his 27 opponents in an eight-year career, had recently given up the WBC belt and was also looking to step into the big time with a potential mega-fight against the winner of Floyd Mayweather vs Shane Mosley.

However, Valero is facing a bleak future after he allegedly told hotel security he had stabbed his wife at dawn on Sunday just hours after the pair had checked in.

The boxer was immediately arrested and taken to a local police precinct to await questioning.

Valero has had several run-ins with police over the years and was involved in a motorcycle accident in 2001 that resulted in a brain injury that means he is not licensed to fight in most American states.

He was also charged with drunken driving in Texas, which is the primary reason he has been refused a US visa in the past.

There have also been reports of domestic violence including last month when his wife was being treated for a number of injuries that were reportedly suffered when she fell down a flight of stairs.

Valero entered a rehab centre in March for treatment of drug and alcohol addiction just six weeks after successfully defending his lightweight title against Antonio DeMarco.