By Allan Fox: Former WBC lightweight champion Humberto Soto (57-7-2, 34 KO’s) has a ton of experience in the lower weights at featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight where he excelled and was one of the best fighters for many years. Now the 31-year-old Soto is moving up in weight to take on light welterweight contender Lucas Matthysse (30-2, 28 KO’s) on June 23rd at a still to be determined venue.

Although Soto has already been fighting at 140 for his last two fights against lightweight Jose Alfaro and Adailton De Jesus in 2011, Matthysse will be the first real light welterweight that Soto will be facing, so it’s going to be really interesting to see how Soto can handle the bigger power from Mattysse. This is a bigger fighter with a larger frame, bigger power and excellent boxing skills that Soto will be facing on June 23. You can really make a case for Matthysse being still an undefeated fighter because his losses to Devon Alexander and Zab Judah were highly questionable involving Matthysse losing to those guys in their home towns. You can really appreciate how good of a fighter Matthysse is after watching Alexander easily handle WBA World light welterweight champion Marcos Maidana recently in beating him by a lopsided 10 round unanimous decision. Alexander had fits against Matthysse both with his power and his boxing skills. He couldn’t just reach in and grab him like he was against Maidana all night long in using his punch and grab technique.

Soto had all he could handle in his fight against lightweight contender Urbano Antillon in winning a close 12 round decision victory in December 2010. As good as Antillon is a fighter, he’s not as big nor as powerful as Matthysse. And the thing is Soto really struggled against Antillon and is lucky to have won a decision. He did win, but it was a really hard fight. Matthysse can do everything Antillon can do but better because of his size, power and boxing skills.

I think Soto may have made a big mistake by choosing the dangerous Matthysse to fight next rather than an easier mark that isn’t quite so dangerous.