Soto wins WBC featherweight title
By Presser (Aug 22, 2005)
 
Photo © Rick Guzman HoganPhotos.com
Guilty Boxing featherweight Humberto “El Zorrita” Soto of Mexico stunned previously undefeated and favorite Ricardo “Rocky” Juarez, taking a 12-round unanimous decision in their nationally televised bout for the World Boxing Council’s interim 126-pound championship Saturday night in Rosemont, Ill.

The lanky 5-foot-9-inch Soto used his six-inch reach advantage (73 to 67) to good advantage, keeping his jab in the face of Juarez all 12 rounds. Soto, who threw more and quicker punches, backed up Juarez throughout and eventually opened a cut under the left eye during the latter rounds.

“I’m happy that Guilty Boxing had confidence in me, kept me busy and worked to get me this chance,” said the 25-year-old Soto.

“Humberto is the first fighter to go through our weekly Guilty Boxing series and graduate, if you will, with a world championship,” said Jay Hassman, vice president of Guilty Boxing.

“We’re so proud of Humberto and the tremendous effort he put forth to win the title,” said Hassman. “Humberto may be the first, but he certainly won’t be the last Guilty Boxing fighter to win a world championship. Guilty Boxing has many other fighters who’ll earn the opportunity to fight for and then win world titles.

“All the hard work that has gone into creating and growing our weekly Guilty Boxing cards is paying off,” said Hassman.

Guilty Boxing has been the most frequent provider of nationally and internationally televised professional boxing cards in Las Vegas for almost six years. Venues include multiple hotel-casinos and arenas in “The Boxing Capital of the World.” Guilty also presents cards in California, Arizona, Mexico and in East Coast locations.

Guilty Boxing’s weekly cards are seen in more than 200 million households worldwide, making Guilty Productions one of the fastest-growing providers of boxing television programming in the world.

Soto, ranked No. 2 by the WBC among featherweights entering the bout, now has a record of 37-5-2 with 21 knockouts, while Juarez, rated No. 1 by the WBC, has a mark of 23-1 with 16 knockouts.

Soto, from Los Mochis, has won 14 straight and 23 of his past 24 bouts dating back to 1999. He won four fights on Guilty Boxing cards in Las Vegas and Tijuana, Mexico, during 2004.

Soto, a replacement foe for Juarez, taking the bout on less than two weeks notice, won despite having two points deducted from his score.

Soto, who turned pro during 1999 at the age of 17, is managed by Ignacio Huizar and Gilberto Valenzuela and trained by Carlos Valenzuela.

Guilty Boxing is expanding its already impressive stable of boxers, and now has more than 80 fighters from the United States and Mexico under contract. These include former WBC and International Boxing Federation featherweight champion Manuel Medina; and world-ranked boxers such as super flyweight Jose Luis Azaria, welterweight Jose Luis Cruz, strawweight Omar Soto and light flyweight Luis Valdez.

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