By Jake Donovan
It didn’t seem likely once upon a time, but resurging welterweight Jesus Soto Karass is at a much different crossroad than he was more than three years ago. His 2008 campaign closes out Friday night, when he faces battle-tested Hicklet Lau in Rio Rancho, New Mexico (Telefutura, 8PM ET/PT), marking his fourth fight of the year, all on the Solo Boxeo circuit.
One way or another, this was going to be the last time the Mexican would appear on Solo Boxeo, where he’s been a fixture in recent years. Even if the series wasn’t coming to a close next month, Soto Karass (21-3-3, 15KO) has resuscitated his career to where the next step is either the road to title contention, or at least as a divisional gatekeeper.
Either way, far more lucrative bouts are in his future.
Such a path was impossible to envision more than three years ago. After sprinting out to an 11-0-1 record to start his career (all but one win by knockout), he suddenly found himself in a career free-fall.
Three straight losses followed, all coming against undefeated prospects. The stat was forgivable enough, that is if the plan was to rebuild. But a follow up assignment against then-Top 10 contender Manuel Gomez suggested that the Mexican had officially reached the point in his career where his handlers were ready to pimp him out.
What wasn’t expected was the career revival that would come out of a fourth-straight non-winning appearance. In holding Gomez to a draw, Soto Karass discovered the formula that was so sorely lacking amidst his losing streak – the ability to outwork his opponents.
He did so against Gomez, enough to convince the judges not to score one against him for a fourth straight time. It wasn’t a win, but it began an unbeaten streak that has extended to 12 straight heading into tonight’s fight.
The best win among the lot was his most recent performance, an eighth round knockout of former Top 10 contender David Estrada this past July.
Going in, the bout was sold as a poor man’s version of Antonio Margarito-Miguel Cotto, which would come the following evening. Soto Karass is best known as Margarito’s chief sparring partner, while Estrada has frequented Cotto’s past training camps. The comparison was fitting, especially when taking into consideration the end results – Soto Karass and Margarito both winning by knockouts in fights that lived up to pre-fight promises of becoming absolute wars.
His performance in the Estrada fight couldn’t have been more perfectly timed for Soto Karass. He was still winning, but was hardly impressive in his previous appearances in 2008. A ten-round decision win over declining Chris Smith turned out to be better for his fans than it was for his career progress.
The 25-year old Mexican brawler turned in a similar performance one fight prior against Germaine Sanders. With two straight struggling performances against made to order opposition, concern had arisen over how much of himself is being left in the gym, with Margarito known to go full throttle with all of his sparring partners.
It wasn’t unfathomable that his career had already hit a wall, especially considering his non-stop slugfest with Juan Buendia last November to end his 2007 campaign. The bout was the opening act of a VERSUS telecast, and fans watched in awe as the two fighters did their best windmill impressions for ten straight rounds. But it was Soto Karass who always managed to stay a step ahead throughout, ultimately taking a unanimous decision win.
Prior to his knockout over Estrada, it was his 11th round knockout over previously unbeaten Michel Rosales that first suggested Soto Karass could one day serve as a welterweight contender. The two went to war in the early going, but it was Soto Karass' pressure and non-stop workrate that would eventually lead to Rosales being forced to concede.
The fight would become his trademark, further accentuated in last year's war with Buendia, which set several Compubox records, as well as last year’s pain-inflicting knockout of Estrada.
In Hicklet Lau (20-17-2, 9KO), it’s suggested that Soto Karass won’t have to dig as deep as has been the case in his past several fights. Such logic could lead to a trap fight, though realistically it’s the Cuban’s only chance at an upset. Eleven of his 17 career losses have come in his last 14 fights. He enters this fight riding a rare one-fight win streak, but that came 13 months ago, which followed an 18-month layoff after having lost six straight.
What Soto Karass gets out of tonight’s fight is an opponent with a rare height advantage – at 6’0”, there are very few welterweights who don’t literally look up to Lau.
More importantly, it keeps him busy as he heads into a 2009 campaign that will surely include a career-high payday. Perhaps he lands a lucrative assignment as Miguel Cotto’s comeback opponent of choice, as has been occasionally suggested by Top Rank. Or maybe Top Rank decides to give him a better fighting chance at a much coveted title shot.
Whatever the case, it’s almost with delectable irony that as Solo Boxeo’s run begins to wind down, Jesus Soto Karass’ career begins to take off.
Jake Donovan is a voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Comments/questions can be submitted to JakeNDaBox@gmail.com
