Soto-Diaz World Title Fight Added to Pacquiao-Clottey Undercard

PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 12 Feb 2010

ARLINGTON, TX (February 11, 2010) – World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight champion HUMBERTO “Zorrita” SOTO and former WBC lightweight champion DAVID DIAZ will go mano-a-mano for the vacant WBC lightweight title, headlining the pay-per-view undercard of THE EVENT: PACQUIAO vs. CLOTTEY, World Welterweight Championship. The Pacquiao vs. Clottey pay-per-view telecast will also feature 10-round rumbles between two-time world champion JOSE LUIS “El Terrible” CASTILLO in a welterweight battle against top-10 contender ALFONSO GOMEZ and “Ireland’s” JOHN DUDDY in a middleweight duel with MICHAEL “Myckol” MEDINA..

These six gladiators have four world titles between them and a combined record of 216-24-8 (146 KOs) – a winning percentage of 87% and a victory by knockout ratio of 68%.


“The pay-per-view undercard is a perfect complement to the main event, capturing the cultural flavor of Texas” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “Each matchup will feature a world class fighter from a different region of Mexico or a Hispanic region in the United States. And the fans who watch the fight live at Cowboys Stadium will be treated to seeing SALVADOR SANCHEZ, III, the nephew of the great champion Salvador Sanchez, and undefeated Dallas wunderkind ROBERTO MARROQUIN in separate non-televised undercard bouts.”

Soto (50-7-2, 32 KOs), of Los Mochis, Mexico, captured the vacant WBC super featherweight in December 2008, winning a lopsided unanimous decision over former WBC interim super featherweight champion and top-rated contender Francisco Lorenzo. Soto successfully defended the title three times in 2009, knocking out Antonio Diaz, Benoit Gaudet and Aristides Perez in a nine-month span, all the more impressive considering they had a combined record of 61-5-1 when he fought them. He enters this fight riding a six-fight winning streak, his most recent victory a December 2009 10-round lightweight unanimous decision over former International Boxing Federation (IBF) lightweight champion Jesus Chavez.

Diaz (35-2-1, 17 KOs), of Chicago, is looking to regain the WBC lightweight title he lost to pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao in June 2008. A 1996 U.S. Olympian, Diaz captured the WBC interim lightweight title by knocking out defending champion Jose Armando Santa Cruz in the 10th round of their 2006 rumble. He successfully defend the title against future Hall of Famer Erik Morales in 2007, winning a unanimous decision in one of the year’s most exciting fights and sending the three-division world champion into a three-year ring exile. Diaz, currently world-rated No. 7 by the WBC, won his last fight, a 10-round decision over Jesus Chavez.

Castillo (60-9-1, 52 KOs), of Sonora, Mexico, is considered one of the most exciting world champions to come out of Mexico over the past 20 years. A two-time WBC lightweight champion, his 2005 world title unification fight with Diego Corrales was not just the Fight of the Year, but considered by many to be the Fight of the Decade and one of the all-time greats. Diaz has claimed victories over many world champions, including Corrales, Joel Casamayor, Stevie Johnston, Cesar Bazan, Julio Diaz, and Jorge Paez. Since moving up to welterweight, Castillo has won five of his last six bouts, all by knockout including all four of his 2009 fights. He is currently world-rated No. 7 by the WBC.

Gomez (21-4-2, 10 KOs), a native of Guadalajara, Mexico, who fights out of Whittier, Calif., is best known for fighting on the inaugural season of NBC’s “The Contender,” where he went 4-1-1, including a victory over world title challenger Peter Manfredo, Jr. He saved his most impressive victories for after “The Contender,” including a seventh-round knockout of two-division world champion Arturo Gatti and a 10-round decision win over world title challenger Ben Tackie. Since unsuccessfully challenging WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto in 2008, he has won his last three fights, two by knockout. He is currently world-rated No. 10 by the WBC and the World Boxing Organization (WBO).

Duddy (28-1, 18 KOs), a native of Derry, Ireland who also fights out of New York, has been a Madison Square Garden fan favorite for most of the last decade. Making his Texas debut, the former WBC Continental Americas middleweight champion boasts a record that includes victories over former world champion Yori Boy Campas, former world title challenger Howard Eastman and rugged contenders Matt Vanda and Anthony Bonsante. Duddy is currently world-rated No. 12 by the WBO.

Medina (22-1-2, 17 KOs), of Monterrey, Mexico, will be making his U.S. debut on this card. The Mexican super welterweight champion since 2007, Medina has successfully defended his title four times and is currently world-rated No. 11 by the WBC.

Remaining Tickets to Pacquiao vs. Clottey, priced at $700, $500, $300, $200, $100, and $50, can be purchased in-person at the Cowboys Stadium box office in Arlington, or by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com.

The Pacquiao vs. Clottey pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $49.95, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View®, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com or www.toprank.com.

Source: PhilBoxing.com