Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer says that a co-feature fight for the May 19 HBO card featuring Lamont Peterson vs Amir Khan in a rematch at Mandalay Bay is close to being done. The fight would be another 140-pound duel, between Lucas Matthysse of Argentina and Mexico's Humberto Soto.
From Rick Reeno:
"We're getting close to getting Humberto Soto against Lucas Mattghysse as the opening bout. This is another barnburner. This is another fight that has 'Fight of The Year' written all over it. I can't remember the last time that HBO or anyone else had a doubleheader, a one-two punch like that - Soto and Matthysse and Peterson and Khan. It doesn't get any better than that," Schaefer said.
On the topic of quality, Schaefer is of course slightly overselling this as OH MY GOD, THIS IS, LIKE, ONCE IN A LIFETIME, YOU GUYS! because there have been plenty of HBO cards with doubleheaders of this quality, but in all seriousness, it would be a really good doubleheader.
I've been intensely critical of Humberto Soto and his lousy matchmaking the last few years, but I'll say right now that if he fights Lucas Matthysse on May 19 -- if -- then I won't have a bad word to say about the fight, because it's a legitimately good fight for both of them. I also like that Golden Boy continues to use Lucas Matthysse despite his two losses to Zab Judah and Devon Alexander, both of which were highly debatable.
Matthysse (29-2, 27 KO) is actually in action tomorrow night in Argentina, facing 20-year-old Mexican Angel Martinez (13-1-1, 9 KO), a late replacement for veteran Ivan Vale.
Soto (57-7-2, 34 KO) signed with Golden Boy Promotions last September, just a couple of days before the Mayweather vs Ortiz fight. For years he had worked with Top Rank and Zanfer Promotions, but split from that deal last year when he decided not to rematch Urbano Antillon on the Pacquiao vs Mosley show.
Soto made the deal with GBP just a couple of weeks after beating Jose Alfaro, and fought the hopeless Adailton De Jesus in November in another one of his typical mismatch affairs. But one thing has always accompanied our criticism of Soto: Yes, he can fight, which is why much of his recent career has been so frustrating. He's held WBC belts at 130 and 135, and an interim belt at 126. While titles are watered-down these days and Soto didn't exactly knock off the kings of the mountain to get those titles, he does not lack for ability in the ring.
It would be very interesting to see him in the ring with a full-fledged junior welterweight in Matthysse. Here's hoping it actually happens.