WBC lightweight champion Humberto Soto retained his title with an amazing twelve round war against an unrelenting Urbano Antillon moments ago at the Honda Center in Anaheim, live on Top Rank PPV. The fighters came out blazing in Round 1 throwing a lot of leather. Both fighters were very aggressive and it made for a rough war in the trenches out of the gate. It was a torrid pace early with Antillon busier and Soto more accurate landing short precise punches. There was no slowing down through the middle rounds as the theme continued with Urbano pressing the pace and Soto looking to score with sharper punches. The action was fierce and the fans loved every minute of it.
Antillon did his best to make it a rough and tumble affair and was deducted a point for low blows. An accidental clash of heads while the fighters brawled along the ropes cut Antillon but he remained undeterred.
The defending champion Soto continued to score with several series of precise punches but the challenger astounded many observers with the tenacious pace he managed to keep up late into the fight.
Antillon ate a lot of hellacious uppercuts from Soto but still managed to charge forward.
In the championship rounds Soto had some success jabbing and moving as the physical wear on Antillon?s face began to show.
At the end of Round 10 Antillon finally showed signs of wilting as Soto rocked him with a series of power shots in the closing moments. Antillon?s knee buckled but he survived until the bell.
Remarkably the gallant challenger went right back to work in the eleventh and continued to press the action as Soto looked to pick his spots.
Antillon bulled Soto to the ropes and continued to unload as the crowd went wild.
In the final round Soto looked to box and move as Antillon continued to bull forward. The challenger left everything in the ring as he was unrelenting in his attack.
After twelve hellacious rounds were complete the fighters embraced in the center of the ring as the crowd in Anaheim went wild saluting the war of attrition they had just witnessed.
When the final scores were read Humberto Soto retained his title by close scores of 114-113 (x2) and 115-112 on all three official cards.
With the win he retained his WBC lightweight title and could be poised to fight Brandon Rios in a barn burner in early 2011? if not an attractive rematch with Urbano Antillon.
