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08/21/2005 Entry: "Soto Upsets Juarez in Gritty Battle!"
Soto Upsets Juarez in Gritty Battle!
By Juan C. Ayllon at Ringside
Soto celebrates his upset victory (Josh Walls photo)
ROSEMONT, IL August 20, 2005 – Someone forgot to tell Humberto Soto that he was supposed to lose. Facing 2000 Olympic Silver Medalist Ricardo “Rocky” Juarez, Soto was filling in as a replacement for Juarez’ originally intended opponent, WBC Featherweight Champion In Jin Chi.
Juarez, 126 lbs., 23-0, 16 KO’s, fought like a contender and came up short in losing a unanimous decision to feisty Humberto Soto, 126 lbs., 36-5-2, 21 KO’s and, in the process, lost his undefeated status.
[Editor’s note: Juan C. Ayllon covered this fight for the Houston Chronicle. Due to potential copyright issues, this piece will not be posted here, but can be viewed by clicking on the following link: http://boxingkingdom.com/Story.asp?STORYID=1422&LANGUAGE=ENG . What follows are the original ringside notes that Ayllon typed during the action, from which he reworked in submitting his story for the Houston Chronicle by 11:30 PM that night]
Round one: Shorter by perhaps four inches…Juarez…jabbing. Soto lands right. Lands left hook (Juarez). Soto with flurry that largely misses. Juarez lands par of hooks. Juarez right over top, left hook. Close exchange. hitting and holding in close at end of round.
Following a close round one, the action heated up. Soto landed a right over the top, Rocky responded with a left hook. Soto fought back with flurry. Rocky landed a big overhand right. Soto landed a right and jarred Juarez with a big right-left combination and a right uppercut at rounds end.
Soto wings a left hook over Juarez' head (Josh Walls photo)
Round three, Soto pressing. Triple jabs. Soto lands big left hook, Juarez fights back with combo. Soto lnadss another lead right. Juarez lands big right. Juarez counterse. Soto lands big right uppercut, another right. Soto dominating, busier this round behind stiff jab, solid rights..
Round four, Jurarez lands lead right, left hook. Soto digs left to body. Soto backing up Juarez. big right uppercut inside by Soto. Left hook off ropes by Soto. Jureaz lands big right. Another following Sotos right. Exchange heavy jabs. Soto lands right. Juarez lands pair of right uppercuts in close. Lead right by Juarez. Big right by Juarez. Counter right by Soto. Low left hook by Juarez. Flurry to body by Soto.
Round five, Juarez jabs. Lands left hook to body. Mises with right to head. Juarez lands left hook, takes right. Hard jabs by both. Soto busier with jabs. Soto backs with left hook. Juarez lands left hook. Soto lands right Juarez lands. Soto digs left to body lands one tow ot ohead. Juarez drives back. Juarez misses big left hook. The two exchange hard I close. More even round.
Round six, Lands left hook, Soto counters Juarez lands right-left; Soto fires back hard. Juarez lands lead right. Rocky jabbing. Sotol lands left to liver, spearing left jab. Catches right to head. Soto lands rocking left to head. Juarez lands big right over top. Lands another lead right. Lands looping right to head. Soto fights back lands right. The two swap heavy blows inside. Soto backing up Juarez, lands right over top, catches big left hook. Bombs with right, lands potent combo inside. Soto lands hard right. Jurarez lands left hook. Hard fought round.
Round seven, Soto jabbing. Volley in close. Soto jabs, lands right, slips to ground. Juarez lands hook to the head, catches right. Catches right, lands own right, catches hard right. Soto coming on. Lands pair of right hooks. Jurarez lands right hook to back of Soto’s head. Reft stops actions. warns. Soto jabing. Soto snaps Rocky’s head back with rights and lefts. Soto lands big rights and lefts, left over top. Rocky lands big right left right combo. Juarez lands huge left hook, huge left has Soto holding on.
Round eight, jabs. Juarez lands big right, spearing left. Soto lands left to body, chopping right to head. Soto jabs twice. Jurarez lands digging right to body. Left hook to head. Right over top. Juarez lands stiff left, one two to Juarez on ropes. Soto lands uppercut. Jurarrez jabbing. Soto jabbing. Soto lands right uppercut. Soto lands right to body. Jurez lands right hook, stiff right at bell.
Round nine. Juarez jabbing. Hit by pair of combos to body. Soto bangs left hook to head. Juarez jabs. Both miss rights. Juarez lands left hook. Juarez lands big hook (left0. “Another left hook in exchange. Lands led right. Soto docked one point for hitting back of head –loudly booed. Soto attacks with flourish. Lands hard rights that has Rocky holding. Ref stops to have tape fixed on Juarez left glove. Soto bangs to body. Juarez lands right over top. Juarez jabs. Soto swarms with both fists. Juarez lands left hook.
Round ten, Juarez jabbing. Soto pressing. Juarez lands left. Soto slips, ref wipes rings center for water. Juarez lands let hook. Soto with left uppercut. Lands left to back of Juraez’ head as Juarez ducking. Ref takes one point. Soto swarms. Lands left uppercut. Juraez lands left right. Soto rips low lefts. The two exchange uppercuts. Soto lands lefts and right to head. Slugfest. Juarez lands big left hook. Juarez lands right uppercut. Juarez lands right. Juarez lands hard left. Soto lands big right. Juarez snaps head back with left. Juarez over top with right. Soto bangs back.
Round 11, Jabbing. Juarez lands left hook to body. Soto lands hard right to head. Soto lands right uppercut. Juarez jabbing. Soto jabbing. Soto lands big right. Juarez lands big left hook. Soto right over top. Juarez lands left to head, right to hip. Soto right shots to body. Lands left hook to head. Left hook to head. Juarez right to head. Soto right to head. Soto right to body. Juarez jabs, misses. Digs left to body. Juarez lands right to head. Fighting in bursts…
Round 12, Juarez marked under both eyes. Juarez lands left to head. Digs right to body. Soto triple jabs. Soto jabs head body. Juarez lands right, Soto lands big right. Soto lands right. Soto lands big uppercut. Has Soto retreating. Soto lands left to head, jab. Juarez bangs in left uppercut, right, jabs to head and body. Soto with right over head. Right behind head. Right over shoulder in close. Juarez lands right left hook Sot counters with right. Juarez with left hook left. Soto lands booming big right. Soto lands lefts at bell.
Judges scored it 114-113, 114-112, 114-113 for a UD Victory for Humberto Soto.
