By Eric Thomas: The light welterweight clash between Lucas Matthysse (30-2, 28 KO’s) and former WBC lightweight champion Humberto Soto (58-7-2, 34 KO’s) is still set to take place in the co-main event on the undercard of Victor Ortiz’s next fight on June 23rd at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The bout is scheduled for 10 rounds, and it’s going to be an exciting one while it lasts.

The card recently had some changes made to it when former IBF/WBC welterweight champion Andre Berton tested positive for the steroid nandrolone and he subsequently removed from the fight card. Golden Boy Promotions, the promoters for Ortiz, are working on putting together a replacement for Ortiz to fight.

Soto, #2 WBC, #3 WBA, #10 WBO, is facing his first quality opponent at 140, and it’ll be interesting to see how he does against the hard hitting and highly skilled Matthysse. Soto moved up in weight from the lightweight division in September of last year, but he’s been slow in facing legitimate light welterweights. He’s beaten two pumped up lightweights Jose Alfaro and Adailton De Jesus, neither of which have the power or the ability of Matthysse. And in his last fight, Soto continued the trend of going soft by taking on 32-year-old Claidinei Lacerda. Soto beat him by a 10 round decision.

Matthysse, #4 WBC, #6 WBA, #11 WBO, should probably be still undefeated, as his two losses on his record to Zab Judah and Devon Alexander were situations where Matthysse went to their hometowns, and out-fought them but ended up on the losing end of controversial decisions. It’s not as if Matthysse didn’t have a warning about what would happen to him in his fight with Alexander, because Matthysse had already been jobbed in his loss to Judah and he should have known better to accept a fight against Alexander in his hometown. It was a bad a decision and he’s likely learned a lesson from that fight.

Matthysse has taken it easy since the Alexander loss by defeating two over-matched opponents Sergio Omar Priotti and Angel Marquez by stoppage wins.

I like Matthysse in this fight against Soto, because he’s got the better power and is just as good boxing skills.

Soto didn’t look very good in defeating Urbano Antillon by a 12 round unanimous decision in December 2010 in closely won decision. That was essentially the last time Soto fought a quality opponent, as he’s had five consecutive easy fights since then over over-matched opponents.