After Pacquiao’s latest victory in June, the rumor mill is abuzz with reports that the champ is slated for an upcoming match with Humberto Soto, the Mexican boxer who pounded Pacquiao’s brother Bobby in 2007 in a match held at Madison Square Garden. And true enough, it seems that a match is indeed in the horizon. Manny Pacquiao, the reigning WBC Lightweight champion, told Philippine TV network ABS-CBN that he is looking forward to a match with Soto.
Despite Pacquiao’s impressive record, he just might have an equal opponent in the Mexican boxer. Soto, who at 27 is younger than Pacquiao, has not lost a fight since 2002 in a match against Kevin Kelly. He has only been stopped once, in the 11th round against fellow Mexican boxer Hector Marquez. Soto can also pack a punch, as seen in his record 44 wins out of a total of 52, with 28 by KO. He also has a longer reach and is taller than Pacquiao by about an inch.
Promoter Bob Arum confirmed that a match between the two boxers is planned for November 8 in Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas, saying that this match will hold a lot of appeal for Filipino and Mexican fans, especially since this can be easily seen as a pride-restoring opportunity for Pacquiao. This came after Pacquiao’s planned fight against Edwin Valero, but the Venezuelan has yet to be cleared to fight in Las Vegas.