Not to get completely and utterly overly economic or financial on my fellow Boxing Confidential readers but there?s a chain reaction taking place that?s led to a massive downward spiral over the past couple years.
The housing market has collapsed which has led to a decrease in spending which in turn has led to massive, domestic job loss in virtually every industry which has created this current recession heading quickly towards a full blown depression. The over exuberant individuals in the banking business played a pertinent role in the current financial mess of domestic auto sales and other U.S. based businesses.
You say, ?What?s the point? Who cares??
The point is that what one person or industry does always has a negative effect on another.
While Mexican boxers such as Antonio Margarito and Sergio Mora bear the obvious and direct repercussions of Pacquiao-De la Hoya taking place, it is not they who lost the most in this whole fiasco.
Mora has his rematch with Vernon Forrest while Margarito looks to be doing battle with Clottey in addition to having some unfinished business with Paul ?The Punisher? Williams.
The man that holds the title of ?The Mexican that Lost the Most? goes to the man named Humberto ?La Zorrita? Soto.
With Pacquiao signing up to face off against De la Hoya this December 6, ?La Zorrita? no longer has a date against the ?Pacman? in November. While the general public acknowledges that Soto is a worthy and solid contender, nobody distinguishes this tough as nails fighter as being on-par with the skill level of past Mexican greats such as Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik ?El Terrible? Morales, or Juan Manuel Marquez and now they never will.
Ever.
The Pacquiao fight was Soto?s chance to distinguish himself as one of the best Mexican fighters of this era and possibly the last legitimate, comparably sized Chicano to give Pacquiao a serious run for his money.
In fact, I believed that Humberto had more than a great shot at upsetting the ?Pacman? should they have met in November of this year.
Imagine if Soto had not only pulled off the upset but had knocked out Manny in the process?
The effect that it would have made on his career and the future generations of his family are unfathomable. In the current state of boxing, Soto can defeat virtually everyone in the 135 pound division and still not garner the attention or notoriety of knocking off the Filipino slugger.
I pour out a little liquor for Humberto Soto today as the world might never realize how good and potentially great this 130 pound sharp shooter really is.
PS. Valero-Soto on the December 6 undercard?
