By Eric Thomas: Making his first fight at light welterweight, former WBC lightweight champion Humberto Soto (56-7-2, 33 KO’s) destroyed lightweight Jose Alfaro (25-8, 22 KO’s) by a 2nd round TKO after Alfaro turned his back and quit on Saturday night at the Estadio Centenario in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico.

Soto, ranked #1 by the WBA, technically was fighting at light welterweight for the fight but Alfaro isn’t a light welterweight, so it was basically just another lightweight fight for Soto, albeit against a very weak opponent. Hopefully, Soto steps it after this fight because he’s not going to be able to make a mark in the 140 pound division if he’s dragging lightweights up in weight to fight him.

Soto didn’t look that great in the opening round, as he seemed to lack power and fought in a cautious manner against Alfaro. However, after a clash of heads in the 2nd round, Soto seemed to become energized after discovering that he had suffered a cut above his right eye. He tore into the also cut Alfaro with a flurry of shots that ended with Alfaro literally turning his back on Soto and appearing to quit. The action resumed, however, but the referee halted the fight after Soto drilled Alfaro a few more times.

Overall, Soto still looked like a lightweight rather than a light welterweight. He lacks power and speed for this division. If that had been guys like Marcos Maidana, Lucas Matthysse or Breidis Prescott that Soto was in there with last night, I think he would have been in for a world of hurt. Soto went life and death with the smallish Urbano Antillon last December. But against much bigger and stronger guys like Maidana, Matthysse and Prescott, I think Soto would lose. He’s making a big mistake in moving up in weight.