By Cliff Rold

Lightning struck.

The storm passed.

Just less than twelve months ago, four significant Lightweight contests rolled out at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, part of a small April pay-per-view card card dubbed “Lightweight Lightning.”  It turned out to be a hell of a show, Rolando Reyes upsetting former titlist Julio Diaz and Edwin Valero in his first U.S. appearance since 2003.

The card came hot on the heels of what would turn out to be the 2009 Fight of the Year, Juan Manuel Marquez’s rousing and successful February defense of the crown against Juan Diaz in Houston.  135 lbs. looked strong.

It didn’t stay that way.

Marquez and Diaz haven’t fought at Lightweight since.  Marquez, still the reigning king, may not fight there again.  The other two winners in Austin, Vicente Escobedo and Michael Katsidis, fought each other last September, tucked away on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather’s Welterweight drubbing of Marquez.  Edwin Valero may be headed, permanently, to Jr. Welterweight.  

The division needs some signs of life.

Enter Humberto Soto.

There has been no shortage of complaints about the undercard for this weekend’s Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey Cowboys Stadium show.  The complaints are somewhat fair.  There isn’t a lot in the three supporting fights which looks significant. 

It doesn’t mean bad fights.  Former Lightweight king Jose Luis Castillo (60-9-1, 52 KO) versus former Contender participant Alfonso Gomez (21-4-2, 10 KO) might be entertaining.  Middleweight John Duddy (28-1, 18 KO) is limited but rarely makes for bad T.V.; matched with Michael Medina (23-1-2, 18 KO), his recipe for watchability should be fulfilled.

The Soto fight is different.  It might not get anyone fired up heading in, but it is a fight of consequence at Lightweight.  A product of old school development, the 29-year old Soto (50-7-2, 32 KO) has quietly developed into one of the world’s best.  Over the last couple of years, he’s been the cream of the crop at 130 lbs. and a significant factor near the top for most of the last five years or so.  Saturday, he faces former WBC titlist David Diaz (35-2-1, 17 KO) for that organization’s belt (or some derivative of it because Valero still has some claim as well…it’s always so confusing). 

Soto is expected to win.  He probably will.  The health of the division would be well served if he does.  While no fountain of charisma, Soto is a steady threat of violence in the ring that can bring out the best in any opponent. 

Funeka is slated for a rematch with Guzman a couple of weeks from now.  Juan Diaz is ready to make time with the Lightweights again after two awkward performances (a disputed win and a loss) against Jr. Welterweight Paulie Malignaggi.  Throw in the all-action Katsidis, the likely arrival of Jr. Lightweight titlist Robert Guerrero, and then mix Soto in with the crowd and Lightweight starts to look almost as promising as it did a year ago in terms of fight possibilities.

Diaz will have something to say about it of course but it remains to be seen just how much.  The 33-year member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team has fought only once since a June 208 drubbing at the hands of Manny Pacquiao.  With over a year’s rest, Diaz returned last September for a majority decision win over another former titlist, Jesus Chavez.

Chavez was also the most recent opponent for Soto, last December, and the verdict was little in doubt when the unanimous decision was announced.  Despite the faded form of Chavez, it wasn’t an easy fight for Soto.  The old veteran fought hard and landed his share of leather.  Having spent most of his career at Featherweight and Jr. Lightweight, Soto might be testing the scale a tad in his third weight class. 

Diaz might not be spectacular, but he’s definitely a Lightweight.  Outside of fights against Kendall Holt and Pacquiao, fighters whose speed was on a different watch than his, Diaz has been a consistent competitor.  Age and a style which demands he take lumps don’t do him any favors.

It doesn’t have the look of a classic on paper, but it ain’t bad either and as an appetizer for the main event it could be worse than Soto-Diaz.  Lightning probably doesn’t strike here, but this fight could help generate storm clouds for the remainder of 2010.

To Buy or Not to Buy

There will be some still wondering whether or not to buy this show right up until Saturday and the topic was briefly touched on in the “Picks of the Week” on Monday night.  For the serious boxing fans out there, the question is simple:

How is this anything but an easy buy?

Pretend a vacuum, a place where the Pacquiao-Mayweather earthquake didn’t happen.  Think about how many good fights Joshua Clottey has been in over the last few years versus Antonio Margarito, Richard Gutierrez, Diego Corrales, Zab Judah, and Miguel Cotto.  Win or lose, Clottey never makes a dull night.

Now match that with the most exciting fighter in today’s world if not the most electrifying since a young Mike Tyson. 

This fight sucking would be a bigger upset than Clottey winning. 

This weekend is a perfect opportunity to call folks over, split the bill, throw down some brews, and marvel at what it looks like to see close to 50,000 people watch a single fight in the United States. 

Weekly Ledger

But wait, there’s more…

 

ESPN2 Coverage: https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=25808

Darchinyan-Guerrero: https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=25829

Weekend Report Card: https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=25858

Ratings Update: https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=25872     

Picks of the Week: https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=25882     

Cliff’s Notes…

The new issue of Boxing Digest has an article on the ten best Heavyweight fights of the 00’s.  It begged the question, “There were ten?”  Actually, yes, there were ten solid entries and some excellent fights which didn’t make it (like Clifford Etienne-Lawrence Clay-Bey).  See, even in bad times, it’s never THAT bad…So Vitali Klitschko is asking brother Wlad to give him first crack at David Haye?  Well, considering that Haye’s dance card is empty IF he gets by John Ruiz, and Wlad has two mandatories, that should be doable…Why is almost everyone on American Idol this year singing such boring crap…Timothy Bradley-Devon Alexander is possible, Jean Pascal-Chad Dawson imminent.  All four are in their 20s.  Boxing is getting good among its young again.  Real good…Just wait until the new crop of Middleweights comes of age. 

 

Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com