Humberto Soto (43-5-2, 27KOs) kept his title dreams alive when he knocked out Ismael Gonzalez (18-13, 7KOs) in the third round of a tuneup bout in Los Mochis, Mexico.
The fight was set as nothing of keep busy contest to prepare Soto for his November 17 title shot against WBO super featherweight champion Joan Guzman (27-0, 17KOs). The bout will be televised by HBO.
Jitters over Soto being on the receiving end of a possible upset, Golden Boy Promotions had Jorge Barrios (47-3-1, 34KOs) lined up to take his place if Gonzalez was able to pull it off. A Guzman-Barrios clash would have been a rematch of their 2006 encounter which Guzman took by a close split-decision.
Barrios was recently cleared to return to the ring after suffering an eye injury that cost him a showdown with WBC super featherweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez (47-3, 35KOs). After pulling out, he was replaced by Rocky Juarez. Two missed opportunities in a row, but not by his own doing. Barrios will move forward to get in the ring as soon as possible.
The winners of the Marquez-Juarez, Guzman-Soto bouts will become the frontrunners to fight the winner of the Oct. 6 rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera.
