By Scott Gilfoid: Number #2 ranked WBC lightweight contender John Murray (31-0, 18 KO’s) wants a world title shot in 2011 against the WBC lightweight champion Humberto Soto. Murray recently defended his EBU lightweight crown last weekend with a less than impressive 12 round decision over Karim El Ouazghari.
Humberto Soto
Humberto Soto vs. Fidel Monterrosa Munoz on Saturday, 3/5
By Jim Dower: WBC lightweight champion Humberto Soto (54-7-2, 32 KO’s) will be squeezing in a 10 round fight on Saturday night against Fidel Monterrosa Munoz (25-2, 19 KO’s) at the El Palenque de la Feria, Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico. This will be a warm-up fight for the 30-year-old Soto to help get him ready for his rematch with Urbano Antillon on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley on May 7th.
Soto-Antillon is the better fight compared to Pacquiao-Mosley
By Chris Williams: A fight that belongs in the main event on May 7th instead of on the undercard is the rematch between World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion Humberto Soto (54-7-2, 32 KO’s) and challenger Urbano Antillon (28-2, 20 KO’s), who will be fighting on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley bout at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Humberto Soto vs. Urbano Antillon on Saturday
By Jason Kim: World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion Humberto Soto (53-7-2, 32 KO’s) will be making his 3rd defense of his WBC title on Saturday night in the In Harm’s Way fight card against #6 ranked contender Urbano Antillon (28-1, 20 KO’s) at the Honda Center, Anaheim, California. Antillon has good power but rather poor defensive skills. He also has a habit of blocking punches with his face. In terms of offensive skills, Antillon is pretty even with Soto in that regard.
Donaire-Sidorenko & Soto-Antillon: Is this card worth purchasing?
By Chris Williams: With Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. pulling out of this Saturday’s fight card, it means that Nonito Donaire’s fight against former WBA bantamweight champion Wladimir Sidorenko (22-2-2, 7 KO’s) will be pushed up to the main event for the fight. That seems like a nice little mismatch to me. The other halfway decent fight on the card is WBC lightweight champion Humberto Soto (53-7-2, 32 KO’s) fighting lightweight contender Urbano Antillon (28-1, 20 KO’s).
John Murray wants to make a name for himself agaisnt Khan, Marquez or Katsidis
By Sean McDaniel: EBU lightweight champion John Murray (30-0, 18 KO’s) wants the big fights against fighters like Amir Khan, Juan Manuel Marquez, Humberto Soto and Michael Katsidis after toiling away for the past seven years in the pro ranks. Murray, 25, will likely be getting a title shot in the near future against either Soto or the winner of the Marquez-Katsidis bout. However, Murray is being lured into fighting on the undercard of Khan’s December 11th card against twice beaten light welterweight contender Victor Ortiz.
Arum not sure who will win – Barrera or Soto
By Dan Ambrose: Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has set 36-year-old Marco Antonio Barrera (66-7, 43 KO’s) with a title shot against World Boxing Council lightweight champion Humberto Soto (52-7-2, 32 KO’s) on September 11th in Mexico City. Despite Barrera having lost three out of his last six fights with his only wins coming against 2nd tier opposition, Arum thinks that Barrera can win a 4th world title.
Barrera likely to fight Soto next
By Eric Thomas: 36-year-old Marco Antonio Barrera (66-7, 43 KO’s), despite little real success against top level opposition in the past three years, has his pick of which lightweight champion he wants to fight next. Barrera can fight either World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion Humberto Soto (52-7-2, 32 KO’s) or the WBA lightweight title holder Miguel Acosta (27-3-2, 21 KO’s). Both are equally formidable fighters and perhaps a couple steps too far for the aging Barrera to beat at this point.
Barrera not impressive in beating De Jesus, doesn’t look ready for Soto or Acosta
By Jason Kim: Three time world champion Marco Antonio Barrera (66-7, 43 KO’s) put in a pedestrian performance on Saturday night in beating Brazilian lightweight Adailton De Jesus (26-5, 21 KO’s) by a dull 10 round unanimous decision on the undercard of the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. John Duddy bout at the Alamodome, in San Antonio, Texas.
There has to be a Valero-Soto fight
By Liam Fitzgerald: Last Saturday Humberto Soto won the WBC Lightweight belt with a unanimous decision over ex-champion David Diaz. The belt had only weeks ago been defended by the Venezuelan Edwin Valero who then decided to vacate it in order to move up in weight.
Now, Soto has a defence lined up on the under card of the Yuri Foreman-Miguel Cotto fight on the 5th June against the unbeaten Anthony Peterson. Provided he got through the fight as the champion still, I couldn’t think of a better match up than against the man who actually vacated it in the first place.