By Steve Kim
If it wasn't for bad luck, junior welterweight contender Humberto Soto wouldn't have any at all. He was slated to face Frankie Gomez on Many 9th as the co-feature on HBO from Houston, Texas when Saul Alvarez took on James Kirkland. Gomez came in well over the 141-pound weight limit, scrapping the bout.
Then Soto was scheduled to face Ray Beltran on June 27th as the opening bout on HBO from the StubHub Center in Carson, California before Tim Bradley-Jesse Vargas. But on Friday it was reported that Beltran had failed his drug test for his May 1st fight against Takahiro Ao, knocking him out of this bout as he has been indefinitely suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
But attempts are being made to have the hard luck Soto remain on this broadcast.
"Yeah," said Eric Gomez, the V.P. and matchmaker for Golden Boy Promotions. "Definitely he's going to be on and we're just trying to finalize it. We're working with Top Rank trying to finalize a new opponent."
Both Bradley and Vargas are promoted by Top Rank, which is the lead promoter for this card.
Lenny Zappavigna, who was just recently inked by Top Rank was offered the fight versus Soto but declined, believing he did not have enough time to properly prepare for this bout, according to a source.
Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.