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Rocky Juarez came into his bout with Humberto Soto bearing a pristine record. The twenty-five-year old’s resume boasted twenty-three fights and twenty-three wins while considered by many the best up-and-coming featherweight in the division. After going twelve rounds and losing by unanimous decision to Soto, a replacement for injured WBC champion Injin Chi, Juarez now finds his career path on a slightly flatter trajectory. Never before had the product of Houston shared a ring with an opponent who could take the detonations produced by one of the best left hooks in the business and dish out more punishment in return. Never before had the US Olympian Silver Medallist faced a foe that could work so effectively behind the jab. Never before had Juarez been in with an adversary so prepared and equipped to take the fight to him with no fear whatsoever of the return fire. And Juarez had no answers for these new problems. It was this inability to adjust during the bout that proved fatal to the compact slugger’s unbeaten record.
If Soto – Juarez had been a fifteen-round contest, the less experienced Texan may have walked away the winner but it wasn’t and he didn’t. While the Mexican veteran was shaken several times by Juarez’s left hook, he was never hurt and never lost confidence. This is exactly the type of foe that Juarez will be facing should he prove able to regroup and challenge one of the reigning world title holders. Juan Manuel Marquez, Injin Chi, Scott Harrison and Chris John are all hardened veterans who will place Juarez under stress that will likely exceed that of the demands Soto placed on his fellow combatant.
Years down the road, this fight with Soto will probably prove essential to Juarez’s level of success in upcoming championship level bouts. A single loss can turn the tide of a career and in this case, that sea change should be for the better as Rocky Juarez realizes that not everything he hits squarely falls down.
Contact Curtis McCormick at thomaspointrd@aol.com
