Ring of Fire: Humberto Soto Could Bail on Urbano Antillon Rematch
by Scott Christ on Apr 13, 2011 1:22 AM EDT
in Boxing News Analysis
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Humberto Soto Might Be Out for May 7
Update: Rick Reeno of BoxingScene.com followed up and says that Humberto Soto has indeed declared his free agency, with attorney Michael Miller representing him. Indications are that Soto is headed to Golden Boy Promotions, and the war between GBP and Top Rank just gets worse.
Rick Reeno of BoxingScene.com is reporting that numerous sources say Humberto Soto will not be going ahead with a May 7 rematch against Urbano Antillon, and that he might be moving on from Top Rank and Zanfer Promotions.
Soto and Antillon won many Fight of the Year awards for their December 2010 war in Anaheim, including the Bad Left Hook Fight of the Year, and the rematch was to be the feature bout and a very nice selling point on the Pacquiao-Mosley undercard. Losing the fight would be a major blow to the card's overall quality. The undercard still features the return of Kelly Pavlik at 168 pounds, plus a sacrifice of Jorge Arce to Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., but the money is definitely in Soto-Antillon II, which is the best fight on the card from a pure fight standpoint.
If Soto does back out, a potentially jaw-dropping war between Antillon and Brandon Rios could be made for July 9.
There is currently nothing set for the May 7 card that would be a suitable PPV fight, but Showtime and Top Rank aren't exactly hung up on "suitable PPV fights" as they proved by sticking Tom Zbikowski on their 3/12 PPV undercard in place of an even worse fight that was to feature Christy Martin.
Jhonny Gonzalez Looking for, Uh..."Challenges"?
Jhonny Gonzalez scored a big win on Friday in Japan, stopping Hozumi Hasegawa in the fourth round. Now, according to James Blears at BoxingScene.com, Gonzalez (48-7, 42 KO) is looking to fight one of three opponents. Let's run it down!
- Rafael Marquez (39-6, 35 KO): This is a fight I'd like to see, as I think Marquez, 36, still might have a little left in the tank, especially against someone as chinny as Gonzalez. Both have power, both can box their asses off, and Marquez's age might equal Gonzalez's inability to withstand a lot of power shots.
- Guty Espadas Jr. (45-8, 28 KO): Uhh...alright? Espadas is 37 and hasn't fought since a virtual shutout loss to Elio Rojas in February 2010, and was pushed to the brink in his last fight before that (April 2009) against lightly-regarded knockaround guy Juan Carlos Martinez. This fight could sell some tickets in Mexico, but Espadas is far from a contender.
- Israel Vazquez (44-5, 32 KO): Come on. I understand that Gonzalez would be going for "revenge" on Vazquez, but this would be pathetic. He wouldn't be beating the man that beat him, but rather a sad-sack shell of the man that beat him in 2006. Vazquez hasn't fought since a disheartening display against Marquez in May of last year, and has been off the radar since then. He's a fight-stopping cut waiting to happen and he'll never be the fighter he used to be. He's done as a relevant fighter.
Unless it winds up being Marquez, hopefully Gonzalez is forced to do something more than he wants to do.
Ray Edwards Will Fight
Minnesota Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards is going to go ahead with plans to box professionally with the upcoming NFL season in limbo. The StarTribune reports that Edwards has signed a two-fight contract:
"It's something I've always wanted to do in my life," Edwards said during a break in his training at Higher Power Training in Eden Prairie. "I can't put my eggs all in one basket, waiting for the NFL to settle the lockout. You never know when this lockout is going to end."
Edwards is listed at 6'5", 268 pounds and has been training with former heavyweight fighter Jeff Warner, a Minneapolis native who went 23-2 with 23 knockouts in his small-time pro career. Warner says Edwards is a great prospect, but Warner also once had a fight billed with a fighter named Bill Corrigan that had some shady circumstances. Corrigan had knocked out Warner in Warner's second pro fight in 1991, and then in 1997 the two supposedly fought again, with Warner winning by TKO. But Corrigan claims he didn't fight Warner that night, and that an impostor fought under his name in Grand Island, Nebraska. Warner also fought a guy named Bill Borrea a bunch, with Borrea usually fighting under an assumed name. So, you know -- we'll see about Edwards.
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Big hit to this ppv...
People gripe on how top rank has mismanaged donaire. They’ve been doing the same thing with soto for much longer. How long has he been fighting subpar opponents on obscure ppvs? With sotos talent and being Mexican you would think he would be much more popular then he is. If i were him I don’t think I would be happy with my current situation at top rank.
Maybe going to gbp for potential match ups with Marques morales or Guerrero would be in his best interest.
See I just haven’t been impressed with Soto as a world-class guy. The fight with Antillon was great and it showed that Antillon is certainly a legit force in the division. But I think it also showed that Soto doesn’t really do any one thing good enough to be great. I think he’s ripe to be exposed. Good but not great.
"You can't search me without probable cause Or that proper ammunition they call reasonable suspicion Listen while I bring friction to your whole jurisdiction" - Fugees
What “exposed”? If he was “exposed” it came years ago against Joan Guzman. How is he not a “world class guy”? He’s at the very least one of the five best fighters in a very good division, with JM Marquez, Miguel Vazquez, Robert Guerrero and Brandon Rios. I also can’t remember anyone hyping him up as “great” rather than “really good,” except maybe Top Rank, and I’m sure that’ll change soon when they sell his reputation down the river, or try to anyway.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Apr 13, 2011 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions
yea, ok. I’ve just been waiting, waiting, waiting, and hearing, hearing about how he tremendous this guy is. Then I see him and I just think – pretty good, not great. The first fight with Antillon – the guy, both guys really just so easy to hit.
Let me ask you this, Scott: Is Soto head and shoulders above Guerrero? Because, at least within the more hardcore community, Soto is perceived as such. I’m not really sure he is.
Also, I thought he was at junior welter now. Was/Is the rematch with UA at lightweight or junior welter?
"You can't search me without probable cause Or that proper ammunition they call reasonable suspicion Listen while I bring friction to your whole jurisdiction" - Fugees
hey, and maybe I’m just bitching for the sake of whining – Maidana, Rios – really easy to hit, and I’m not saying the same shit about them, am I.
But I don’t hear the hardcore fan love for Rios, and Maidana is supposed to have axe murderer power.
"You can't search me without probable cause Or that proper ammunition they call reasonable suspicion Listen while I bring friction to your whole jurisdiction" - Fugees
Its probably because Maidana is somewhat likable, in an evil sort of way, whereas Rios is just a d-bag. Could be that…
"The bell that tolls for all in boxing belongs to a cash register."
-Bob Verdi
by Waldo Rastel on Apr 13, 2011 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Maidana is a natural villain, but one who has a cool demeanor and reputation, a sort of charm to him; Johnny Ringo in Tombstone, sort of. Rios is just sort of a dick, but a dangerous dick. Curly Bill in Tombstone, kind of. Maybe a bit of Ike Clanton to him, but Clanton was portrayed as a coward in that movie, which Rios certainly is not (and which by all historical accounts, Clanton was not, but that is neither here nor there).
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Apr 13, 2011 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions
I think I like
The idea of Maidana just as much, and maybe more, than Maidana the fighter.
by The Boxer Rebellion on Apr 13, 2011 9:52 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
The rematch was to be at lightweight. He took the Monterossa rematch at jr. welter, though.
Is Soto heads and shoulders above Guerrero? No. Is he really perceived that way? I don’t think so. I think both are real good fighters. I would pick Guerrero cautiously if they were to fight, which I guess could happen now if they both wind up with Golden Boy. Good fight, too, but I don’t think Soto carries 135 as well as Guerrero, and definitely wouldn’t carry 140 as well as Guerrero would. I think ol’ Bob is physically superior more than a superior boxer.
But then I mostly don’t pay attention to what “the more hardcore community” says, or at least 90% of it, because from what I can gather most of said community just jumps up the ass of whoever fought last week and mostly spend time lobbing racist insults at whomever they dislike between Pacquiao and Mayweather.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Apr 13, 2011 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions
you are the hardest of the hardcore community. You’re the Old G of the hardcore community (see Menace To Society).
"You can't search me without probable cause Or that proper ammunition they call reasonable suspicion Listen while I bring friction to your whole jurisdiction" - Fugees
I wish to be A-Wax
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Apr 13, 2011 6:21 PM EDT up reply actions
It's hard to say
Not fighting this rematch against Antillon on the biggest card of the season with what will be boxing’s biggest audience so far this year, IMO, is arguable a pretty dumb move.
On the other hand, if he fights and beats Antillon, then Arum had him all lined up….for Brandon Rios.
Maybe Soto isnt that dumb after all.
"Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer"
---- Muhammed Ali
a fight with marquez or morales woudl do much more for his profile and his retirement fund then a fight on ppv undercard where everyone whos actually watching only cares about the ‘a’ side of teh main event … at least imo
ppv undercard where everyone whos actually watching only cares about the ‘a’ side of teh main event
I’d argue that everyone who is actually watching cares about the entire card. I don’t think your average megafight PPV buyer is actually watching at all.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Apr 13, 2011 3:05 AM EDT up reply actions
which isn't really an argument to your...
actual point. :)
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Apr 13, 2011 3:05 AM EDT up reply actions
If he stars in the biggest card of the year, it could be huge.
Ask Rios, He walked onto the last Pacquiao card late…and we are all talking about him
"Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer"
---- Muhammed Ali
That fight with fat Rios against Omri Lowther is not the reason anyone is talking about Brandon Rios. He had his breakout performance in an HBO co-feature fight against Anthony Peterson, and upped the ante with the Acosta fight.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Apr 14, 2011 12:56 AM EDT up reply actions
No doubt
but being on it certainly didnt hurt.
I always contend that careers fairly or unfairly, careers are made by choices and decisions. Rios being game to be on the Dallad card was a good one
"Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer"
---- Muhammed Ali
People started talking about Rios because he looked good against Anthony Peterson, and because he decided to take the piss out of Freddy Roach having Parkinson’s. His hype had simply nothing to do with beating Omri Lowther.
Soto, by the way, fought and knocked out Benoit Gaudet on the Pac-Hatton undercard in the co-feature. That didn’t really do buckets for his rep, to be honest.
"Occasionally, there is a boxing match that, in its demonstration of skill, courage, intelligence, hope, seems to redeem the sport - almost. Perhaps boxing has always been a sport in crisis, a sport of crisis."
by Oli Goldstein on Apr 14, 2011 5:51 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I hope you are not suggesting being part of big cards is meaningless.
To do so is quite frankly borderline absurd.
Nonito Donaire left..or tried to leave TR…because he was NOT put on Manny’s cards. In his own (and his wife’s) opinion, he believed his career has suffered as a result.
You get on a big card, you get your shot. If your style and performance are fan friendly, you get more fights. If it’s not, chances are you won’t get similar chances.
Rios is a consistent over-performer.
So he gets more and more fights.
"Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer"
---- Muhammed Ali
I’m not suggesting being part of big cards is meaningless. But, as already put forward, undercard fights these days get very, very little attention. It’s just a fact of life. I was suggesting you shouldn’t put anywhere near as much stock in them as you seem to do.
In response to what you put below, um, thanks. That’’s a, um, description of the fight so, um, thanks. As has already been said, Rios’ hype does not come from beating Omri Lowther, but from looking very good beating Anthony Peterson, then mocking Freddy Roach for having Parkinson’s, and then warring with Miguel Acosta. I’m quite happy to say the Lowther fight has absolutely nothing to do with Rios’ hype now.
"Occasionally, there is a boxing match that, in its demonstration of skill, courage, intelligence, hope, seems to redeem the sport - almost. Perhaps boxing has always been a sport in crisis, a sport of crisis."
by Oli Goldstein on Apr 15, 2011 4:49 AM EDT up reply actions
From Tim Starks the day after Rios appeared in Dallas
" After a power punching festival in the 5th ,the referee stopped it. Good call. Both men took the fight on short notice, and Rios wasn’t in very good shape; it was a junior welterweight bout where Rios failed to make weight, in fact. Rios gets hit way too much to climb to the highest heights of the sport, but he has great action hero potential; he hits hard and doesn’t mind getting hit.
"Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer"
---- Muhammed Ali
oh, I forgot
Vanes Martirosyan’s fight with Saul Roman has been rescheduled for June 4. I was going to edit that into the story, but … whatever. That’s the Zbik-Chavez show; BoxRec is also listing Rafael Marquez v. TBA, Miguel Vazquez v. TBA and TOM ZBIKOWSKI THE FOOTBALL PLAYER WHO LOVES AND LIVES BOXING AND IS GOOD AT BOXING THE FOOTBALL PLAYER TOM ZBIKOWSKI!!!!!!11 v. TBA
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
It’s weird how just last week we were decrying the dearth of opponents available to Marquez if he stuck with Golden Boy, and now it appears there are at least three guys besides Judah who he could make meaningful fights with if he stayed: Soto, Guerrero, and Morales.
don't forget Maidana
he’s got plenty of options now.
by The Boxer Rebellion on Apr 13, 2011 9:31 AM EDT up reply actions
He only makes real money with Morales. And maybe Judah
But they are fights.
No doubt.
On the other hand, if he loses to any of them his stock vis a vis Manny plummets
"Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer"
---- Muhammed Ali
If he fights for Golden Boy his stock vis a vis Manny is dead.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Apr 14, 2011 12:57 AM EDT up reply actions
Ugh. At least the NFL lockout is the sort of event threatened once every few years, whenever the agreement comes up. Until promoters (and boxers and their management, though I’m inclined to blame them less), we’re all on permanent, not total but constant, lockout from what the sport could be.
That said, Rios-Antillon would be a good test of what happens when Rios lands massive shots, but doesn’t floor his opponent.
For those interested, Frank Espinoza (Israel Vazquez’s manager) let me know that Izzy is indeed retired.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
That's probably worth a story in itself
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Since Vazquez never made a formal announcement, I take it with a grain of salt. He was supposedly talking about fighting again not too long back.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Apr 13, 2011 2:49 PM EDT up reply actions
I hope Edwards gets waxed early and often. I truly hate these quasi-serious crossovers who think they can beat real pros. Give me the serious ones like Seth Mitchell.
Nick Charles is an inspiration.
Worse than that, IMO, is the non-boxing fans who think Tom Zbikowski (or anyone else) is some legit fighter. I should just ignore it, but it’s really driving me nuts.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Apr 13, 2011 8:29 PM EDT up reply actions
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