Category: Blog Posts

This particular fight I feel is if someone mentioned this fight on a random humbug that means I know they truly do watch boxing. The funny thing was this was not originally the main event for the Top Rank PPV (Remember those cards?!!). It was Nonito Donaire vs Wladimir Sidorenko. My mind slips me on why they changed the lineup and bumped the fight I am about to mention to the main event, but it turned out to be a great decision. Humberto Soto vs Urbano Antillon for the WBC Lightweight Title. Humberto Soto was making the third defense of the vacant belt that he won by beating David Diaz. For Urbano Antillon, it would be his second crack at becoming a world champion. He had previously come up short against Miguel Acosta and was hungry for another shot.

               In the first round, Soto looked like he was going to warm up into the fight by throwing some jabs out there. However, Antillon was not interested in any feeling out process. After some time, he started throwing bombs at each other which Soto replied back in kind. They were roughing each other up. Antillon would throw Soto to the canvas. It got chippy early. Antillon established heavy pressure and Soto just had to stand there and trade. Soto landed like three uppercuts to end the first round. In between the rounds, you can already see both guys are marked up. The crowd loved every minute of it. The second round is more of the same with Antillon using a jab trying to move in. Soto ate every bit of those jabs to throw combinations at Antillon. Then it was Rock’em Sock’em action with more choice low blows. Soto’s combination punching is a joy to watch. A right hand from him momentarily froze Antillon. Antillon body punching was class as it kept Soto on his toes. The third-round action was just scintillating. Antillon could not wait to go and engage. He backed up Soto immediately with body shots as Soto ripped hooks and uppercuts to his head. A left hook from Soto made Antillon freeze once again. Soto then went to Antillon’s body while Antillon ripped Soto with headshots. Got to love the change of reversal. The 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th rounds were just an exercise in brutality. Antillon is given an official warning for low blows, but he did make Soto cover up more. But eventually Antillon strays too low again and gets the point deducted. The amount of hooks and uppercuts these two are letting off is crazy. You just do not see brutal combination punching like that every day.

The 7^th and 8^th rounds Antillon suffers a cut where the ref deemed it caused by headbutt. The pace though never lets up. A right hook from Soto again makes Antillon freeze up again. Antillon has taken one too many of those types of shots that has made him do that. Except Antillon half slipped and half staggered after that shot as well. Soto lacing a shelled up Antillon with serious combinations. Antillon looked worse for wear and looked like he was about to go down. His face now has a crimson mask. The doctor had to check out the cut. In the ninth round, Soto tries to box and keep some distance until Antillon starts touching him to the body again. 10^th round, Soto laced him with uppercuts which made Antillon throw him to the canvas. Soto tried slowing down the pace and boxing more which Antillon responded by throwing left and right hooks at him. Later in the round, Antillon landed more choice shots that landed low. The ref however did not admonish him for it. The last two rounds you can tell both fighters are losing steam but still throwing. At this point, will is carrying both of them. Antillon is bleeding more profusely from his eye. Trading shots on the ropes and falling into clinches. Soto landed overhand rights and Antillon responded with hooks and then of course got rough again. Antillon again spins Soto around and throws him to the canvas. The crowd cheers them on as they trade to the final bell. Soto again came remarkably close to dropping Antillon in those last seconds. What an amazing slugfest this was. Soto’s last second probably won him that round and the fight itself. When the scores were read, Soto would retain this title by unanimous decision with scores of 115-112 and 114-113 x 2.

For Urbano Antillon, this would unfortunately be the closest that he would come to becoming world champion. So heartbreakingly close but came up short. He would only fight two more times after this. The next fight would be against the reigning WBA Lightweight Champion Brandon Rios. Prime and peaking, Rios would stop Antillon in a very brutal 3 round war.  Following some time off, Antillon would fight only once more, winning by KO. There hasn’t been much on Antillon since retiring outside of a video interview done by ESNEWS about a decade ago – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff1NxwwfhL8 – where he confirms his retirement as well as discusses how he adjusted to life after boxing.   For Soto, he would make one more title defense before vacating it to move to 140 pounds. After 3 non-descript fights, he would go on to challenge power punching Lucas Matthysse who would become the first man to drop and stop him within five rounds. He would continue on winning eleven of his final thirteen fights. During which he scored some unlikely upset wins over the likes of John Molina and Brandon Rios. His final fight against Jessie Vargas would prove that he was too old and small to compete at 154. Vargas would stop the normally durable Soto in six rounds, sending him into retirement. The excellent “Best I Faced” article (https://www.ringtv.com/646609-best-i-faced-humberto-soto/) highlighted Soto’s activities in his retirement, which was working with amateur fighters and owning taxis & buses in Mexico.  It is always great to hear of boxers doing well in life after boxing, but it is also great to remember the great performances as well. This fight is more than worthy of remembrance. Full recommendation to watch.