Guzman-Soto: Nobody Else Will Fight 'Em

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Jake Donovan - Another weekend, another upcoming fight between two fighters facing each other just for the hell of it. In a division where there is plenty of money to be made by playing it safe and holding out for bigger game, a pair of junior lightweight contenders instead opt to face each other, with little more than bragging rights at stake.

This month's edition of HBO's Boxing After Dark, in a nutshell.

Boxing junkies are in for a treat as Humberto Soto and undefeated Joan Guzman collide in the lone live fight to air this weekend (Saturday, HBO, 9:45PM ET/PT, Atlantic City, NJ). With Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao generally regarded as the top two junior lightweights in the world, the winner of this fight should warrant consideration as 'best of the rest', at the very least. [details]

[MaYaN_SuN]

cant wait for this fight

[NAPO]

i got soto anybody let me know.

[NeXt In Line]

I got you on that Soto bet.

[NAPO]

I got you on that Soto bet.

confirm bro.

[solojuan]

Picking Guzman

Hmmmm I'm going with Guzman if he hits and moves the hell up out the way. If he trades he gonna go na night, SOTO is naturally bigger. This is one of the most overlooked fights of the year.

[Deeznuts]

I got my big bet ready

[grayfist]

These jr. lightweight fellas are pushing the alphabet organizations more and more into the realm of irrelevance.

Reckon:
1. The widely considered best of the division (Pacquiao) does not own a world alphabet belt and does not seem to care too much about getting one.

2. The fighter who is regarded by many as Pacquiao's number 1 contender (JMMarquez) holds a belt, but has use for it only with regard getting a big purse in a rematch with Pacquiao and not much else.

3. The WBO titlist (Guzman) who as title holder should be the one challenged, is the one issuing challenges (in Pacquiao's direction).

4. Humberto Soto went through and won a WBC title eliminator but decided to think of that accomplishment as one that never happened and instead goes against Guzman's WBO belt, thereby shoulder-shruggin what he paid the WBC in sanctioning fees in that eliminator. Not much respect there...

5. The WBA's Valero knows he's fighting in Mexico in December, but he still has to be told the exact identity of his opponent. His management is reportedly scraping the bottom of the barrel for an opponent. So much for alphabet ratings...

6. The IBF--and nobody else-- regards Mzonke Fanah as world champion. Need anything more be said?