By Steve Kim
A co-feature for the HBO broadcast on June 27th - that has Timothy Bradley and Jesse Vargas squaring off for the vacant WBO welterweight belt - has been finalized. Raymundo Beltran and Humberto Soto will collide in a junior welterweight contest, with a title potentially at stake.
Eric Gomez, V.P. and matchmaker for Golden Boy Promotions, told BoxingScene.com on Friday - "It's going to be (Humberto)Soto-(Ray) Beltran. Right now it's a ten round fight. It could possibly be a twelve round fight if we get a title for it."
What's ironic is that Beltran (30-7-1, 18KOs) was scheduled to fight for the vacant WBO lightweight title versus Takahiro Ao on May 1st but failed to make the 135-pound limit. He eventually stopped Ao in two but was not eligible to fight for the title as he wasn't able to shed the excess poundage. Soto (65-8-2, 35KOs), was scheduled to face Frankie Gomez on HBO on May 18th underneath Saul Alvarez-James Kirkland but that fight was scratched as Gomez was unable to come in at the contracted weight of 141.
This bout will take place at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.
Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.