By Mark Vester

At Arena Itson, Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico, WBC super featherweight champion Humberto Soto (50-7-2, 32KOs) moved up to lightweight and won a ten-round decision over former champion Jesus Chavez (44-7, 30KOs). The score was 100-87 on all three cards.

Chavez came out jabbing but when he ducked down to set up a shot, Soto caught him on the top of head and sent him down for a flash knockdown. Chavez tried to push Soto against the ropes and he fought his way off. In the final minute CHavez backed Soto to the ropes and the two of them were trading big punches. There was a bad clash of heads in the second round but neither fighter was cut. Soto and Chavez were trading punches and it seemed that Soto stunned Chavez with a combo. Chavez continued the pressure by coming forward and trading shots with Soto in the third round. Soto was landing a lot of uppercuts off the ropes. Chavez landed a good overhand right.

Soto was breathing a bit heavy before the start of the fourth round. They went back to trading very quickly. Soto was fighting off the ropes as Chavez stayed in there and made it an inside brawl. Soto stunned him with a few bodyshots and they went to brawl as Chavez fought him off. Soto hit him with a big combination at the end of the round. During the fifth, Soto was really working Chavez over. Chavez was frustated, grabbed Soto and nearly threw him out of the ring. Soto nearly flew fully out. The ref took a point away from Chavez and the two of them were trading bad words. At the start of the sixth, Chavez caught Soto with a very hard low blow that sent him down for some time. When Soto recovered from the low blow, the two of them went to war with punches flying from all corners. The crowd stood their feet. 

Chavez came out landing some good punches at the start of the seventh. Soto stood against the ropes and then began to fire back with combinations. The eight round was fought at a slower pace. Soto took the round off and Chavez did most of the work with punches to the head and body. In the ninth round, Soto still seemed to be a step behind as he might have been tired. Chavez seemed to outwork him once again in the round but Soto seemed to be well ahead on the cards by this point with the two 10-8 rounds. In the tenth and final roun, both fighters stood their ground and were trading some big punches. Soto was landing some big combinations to steal the round in the final minute.

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