Joan Guzman Vs Humberto Soto

In a fall filled with spectacular fights, one of the best may take place on Saturday, November 17th, when two of the premier boxers in the 130-pound weight class, WBO Junior Lightweight Champion Joan Guzman and former Interim Featherweight Champion Humberto Soto, look to move closer to a 2008 mega fight, by scoring a victory in their bout.

The 12-round championship bout, which promises to be one of the most competitive and exciting matchups of 2007 is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Sycuan Ringside Promotions and Top Rank Inc., and will air live from Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, NJ, as part of a doubleheader on HBO’s Boxing After Dark starting at 9:45 PM ET/PT.

The co-featured bout on the telecast will feature rising star and 2004 Olympian Abner Mares making his HBO debut in a bantamweight fight against the Argentinean Damian David Marchiano.

Tickets for this event are priced at $225, $175, $145, $115, $95, $75 and $45 are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 866-900-4TIX (4849) or online at www.theborgata.com.

“Joan Guzman vs. Humberto Soto promises to be one of the most explosive fights of the year,” stated Golden Boy Promotions President Oscar de la Hoya. “Golden Boy is pleased to bring this outstanding night of boxing to Borgata and to fans watching across the country on HBO.”

“Borgata is thrilled to partner once again with Golden Boy Promotions, along with Sycuan Ringside Promotions and Top Rank Inc. to bring this highly-anticipated fight to Atlantic City and provide a world-class boxing experience for all our guests – fighters, promoters and customers,” said Larry Mullin, President and Chief Operating Officer for Borgata.

Scott Woodworth, VP of Sycuan Ringside Promotions added, “Sycuan Ringside is thrilled that Guzman has had the opportunity to fight the best fighters in his division. We are confident that a victory over Soto will elevate his status among the elite fighters of today.”

“This tremendous matchup is somewhat unsung with all of the great fights this fall. But believe me, Humberto Soto against Joan Guzman is one of the top, most exciting championship fights of the year,” said Bob Arum, CEO, Top Rank.

Joan “Little Tyson” Guzman (27-0, 17 KO’s) is no stranger to outstanding success in the ring, as he is a former World Super Bantamweight and current Junior Lightweight Champion who has never tasted defeat in the pro ranks. A 1996 Olympian for the Dominican Republic, the Santo Domingo native turned pro in September of 1997 and was quickly dubbed “Little Tyson” for his prodigious punching power. By 2002, he was a World Champion, having knocked out Fabio Oliva in three rounds to win the WBO Super Bantamweight Title. After two successful defenses, Guzman moved up to the featherweight division and quickly earned the WBO’s number one contender position. But after a series of postponements of a fight with champion Scott Harrison, Guzman decided to move up to 130 pounds, where he easily outpointed former world champ Javier Jauregui in his divisional debut and then pounded out a 12 round win over Jorge Rodrigo Barrios to win the WBO Junior Lightweight Crown. He now looks to a second successful defense of his title against Soto.

One of the most talented fighters in the game today, Humberto “Zorrito” Soto (42-5-2, 26 KO’s) is also one of the most avoided. His high level of skill, coupled with a warrior’s heart, has made him one of the most feared junior lightweights in boxing. A native of the boxing hotbed of Los Mochis, Mexico now living in Tijuana, Soto turned pro in 1997 and after some rocky times in the first five years of his career, this two-fisted boxer-puncher hit his stride and has gone unbeaten in his last 20 fights, dating back to 2002. In 2005, Soto arrived on the world scene when he won the Interim WBC World Featherweight Title by handing 2000 Olympic Silver Medalist Rocky Juarez his first loss as a pro, and since then he has been seemingly getting better with each fight, most recently knocking out highly-regarded Bobby Pacquiao in the seventh round in June, in his biggest win since moving to the super featherweight division where he is currently rated number two in the world by the WBC, fourth by the WBA and third by the IBF and WBO.

Considered by most boxing insiders to be the sport’s next can’t miss prospect, Abner Mares (14-0, 9 KO’s), a member of the 2004 Mexican Olympic team, has burst onto the pro scene, dazzling fans with his speed and boxing skills. Despite being just 21 years old, the Montebello, CA resident has already beaten fighters far more experienced than himself, including his most recent conquest over former World Champion Isidro “Chino” Garcia (24-3-2, 8 KOs) to capture the NABO Bantamweight Championship on September 7th. Further confirming his status as a boxing prodigy, Mares is trained by legendary Mexican trainer Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain, who considers Mares one of the most talented fighters he has ever trained. Although he has only competed in 14 professional fights, he is already ranked in the top 15 in the world at bantamweight by three of the four major sanctioning organizations. He looks to further cement his status as boxing’s next star in his HBO debut against Damian David Marchiano (14-2-1, 5 KO’s) on November 17th.

Also scheduled to compete on the November 17th card is highly regarded junior welterweight contender and Philadelphia native Demetrius “The Gladiator” Hopkins (27-0-1, 11 KO’s). The nephew of middleweight legend Bernard Hopkins, Demetrius has worked tirelessly to create his own identity in the boxing world and has passed with flying colors, earning more respect and acclaim with each outing. The current USBA Junior Welterweight Champion, “The Gladiator” was once seen as strictly a technician in the ring, but with five of his last eight wins coming by knockout over quality competition, opponents now have to fear Hopkins’ power in addition to his boxing skills. In his last fight, Hopkins, who is currently ranked number two in the world by the IBF, and eighth by the WBC, WBA and WBO, scored an emphatic first round stoppage of Haider Berrio on July 21st.