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According to reports in Venezuela, WBC super featherweight champion Humberto Soto (49-7-2, 32 KOs) will move up to lightweight to challenge WBA-interim champion Miguel Acosta (26-3-2, 20 KOs) on December 19 in Cancun, Mexico. Acosta recently knocked out previously undefeated Urbano Antillon.
During training camp, former six division champion Oscar De La Hoya had a bad feeling that last December's fight Manny Pacquiao would end in a loss. He was right. Pacquiao dominated and stopped him in eight rounds. De La Hoya retired not long after. During last May's win over Steve Forbes, De La Hoya knew the end was near when Forbes was able to tag him often with combinations.
David Haye is backing countryman Audley Harrison to make a big return in the heavyweight division. Haye, who challenges WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev on November 7, says Harrison looked very good during his three wins to capture the crown at the recent Prizefighter III heavyweight tournament. Haye is realistic when it comes to Harrison's competition that night. He says the 2000 Olympic gold medal winner needs to apply the same tools at a higher level. If he can, Haye believes that Harrison can do big things at the weight. In the last few years, Harrison's career has been up and down. He suffered four defeats since 2005.
Top Rank's Bob Arum has warned WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez that he can't fight Yuriorkis Gamboa in the same manner as he did against Rogers Mtagwa last Saturday night in New York. Lopez was out on his feet and nearly put away by Mtagwa in the championship rounds. Arum felt Juanma fought a stupid fight and made it a very hard fight by standing close and going to with Mtagwa. He said Juanma used have stayed at a distance and boxed.
According to adviser Damien Ramirez, middleweight contender Winky Wright will return to action on December 11 in Puerto Rico. Wright will see action for the first time since the April loss to Paul Williams. Wright turns 37 in November and has only fought twice since 2007.
If there were any questions about Jermain Taylor's physical condition for Saturday's fight with Arthur Abraham (30-0, 24KOs), those questions were answered on Monday. BoxingScene.com has learned that Taylor is already at his fighting weight. Taylor (28-3, 17KOs), after eating a full dinner, was 169-pounds; only one pound away from the super middleweight limit.
During a Monday press conference in London, David Haye went on a rampage with a verbal assault on WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev. Haye challenges Valuev on November 7. Haye said that he plans to keep making fun of Valuev to drive the champion crazy. He wants Valuev to make mistakes by "fighting angry" in the ring.
Trainer Freddie Roach is worried about the "dirty tactics" of WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto. He said Cotto tends to use low blows to stop the momentum of his opponents, pointing to Cotto's fight with quick southpaw Zab Judah. He doesn't want the same thing to happen to Manny Pacquiao when he faces Cotto on November 14 in Las Vegas. Roach plans to press the ref to keep a good eye on Cotto
The most shocking result that took place over the weekend was Juan Carlos Salgado's destruction of WBC super featherweight champion Jorge Linares (27-1, 18KOs) at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. Moments into the first round, Salgado (22-0, 16KOs) dropped him with perfect left hook. Linares appeared to be very hurt when he got up and Salgado quickly finished him off as the ref jumped in to stop the fight. The result sent shockwaves in the boxing world. Linares was regarded as one of the best fighters in the lower weight divisions and recently signed a big promotional deal with Golden Boy Promotions. Nobody saw a first round knockout loss coming - not even Salgado
WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez arrived back in Puerto Rico; returning from the toughest win of his career. Lopez won a much tougher than expected decision over veteran Rogers Mtagwa on Saturday night at the WaMu Theater in Madison Square Garden. For the last year, there has been a slow build-up for a unification bout with WBA/IBF champion Celestino Caballero. Every indication had the fight taking place on January 23 in Puerto Rico with HBO televising.