The Rooster? Neeco Macias (17-1, 10 KOs) did beleaguered veteran Jesus Soto Karass (29-13-4, 18 KOs) a huge favor Thursday night at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California by fighting his usual balls-out fight.
Soto Karass, with weary legs and weakened punch resistance, took a close ten-round majority decision over his younger rival without having to do much but lean back on the ropes, fend off a portion of Macias? shots, and let his own hands go. Many consider the old school native of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico a shot fighter at this point, but he was never taken to a place where that status could be exploited. Macias? single-minded attack strategy allowed Soto Karass to avoid being pushed to areas where he would eventually fall apart.
The 36-year-old battler who, prior to the Macias fight, was 4-10-1 (with 1 no contest) in his last 16 bouts and a staggeringly ?he must retire? awful 0-5-1 in his last 6, was already gone from the sport until he was brought back for one more war against Golden Boy?s newly-signed fan favorite.
The veteran tough guy was supposed to lose to Macias in spectacular fashion, delivering a battle to the 27-year-old prospect before eventually being overwhelmed by the all-action ?Rooster.? Instead, an upset was brewed. Soto Karass likely moves on to at least one more beating while Golden Boy has to re-tool and re-work Macias? push.
In a bout where a record number of punches were thrown (3,353 combined total punches over ten rounds), the difference between the two fighters came down to simple nuance. Soto Karass? ability to occasionally pivot away from punches and get more leverage on his own shots edged some rounds in his favor?enough, anyway, to win the majority decision by scores of 97-93, 96-94, and 95-95.
The victorious Soto Karass hinted, post-fight, at being energized to continue fighting after the win?something that is inadvisable, at best, and possibly tragic, at worst. The victory over Macias was the cruelest of optical boxing illusions and it would be smart for anybody that cares to bring this to the 17-year pro?s attention.
As for the now once-defeated Macias? Well, it?s really hard to not like this kid who is so obviously in love with the sport and with his ability to earn a living in it. But it?s clear that what worked against club fighters and second-tier prospects will not work against next-level opposition. As I wrote back in September when Neeco beat Marvin Cabrera:
?The jaded boxing realist in me knows that mad volume punchers have come along in the past and very few make a dent at the elite level. It?s just a very hard style to execute against world-class fighters with next-level skillsets and the ability to slow down or completely negate a wild, swarming offense.
…The Lancaster, California native will have to add other skills to his repertoire and develop a bit of nuance if he hopes to have success at the world-class level. There?s plenty of work ahead if the idea is to turn a warhorse into a thoroughbred, but it?s hard to bet against someone who so clearly loves and lives for his work.?
And now we know that the high-water mark for how far Macias can go without a firm fine-tuning is Jesus Soto Karass-level (or someone who won?t simply wilt under pressure). That doesn?t bode well for his long-term chance of world-class success.
But it sure would be nice to have Neeco Macias step up and further develop. The sport needs enthusiasm and overwhelming positivity like his?just as much as it needs tougher-than-tough warriors like Jesus Soto Karass to know when enough?s enough.
