SOTO FIGHTS DIAZ FOR PACQUIAO?S SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 12 Oct 2008
Humberto Soto (44-7-2, 28 KO?s) battles Gamaliel Diaz (23-7-2, 10 KO?s) for the World Boxing Council super featherweight interim title since the leading world boxing organization had withdrawn its recognition of Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao as the 130 pound champion.
WBC president Jose Sulaiman told www.insidesports.ph that they would continue to recognize Pacquiao as the lightweight champion since he won the title with a 9th round demolition of David Diaz.
Sulaiman noted that a fighter cannot keep two titles for a long period of time and since nobody had contacted the WBC thirty days after Pacquiao won the lightweight title and the organization ?understood that Pacquiao was keeping the title he recently won? which was the lightweight crown.
Sulaiman said Pacquiao moved up in weight, from super featherweight where he won the title via a split decision over Juan Manuel Marquez and ?consequently as he did not give up any of the titles, the WBC understood he was not going to keep the super featherweight championship and withdrew recognition of that title.?
Humberto Soto (44-7-2, 28 KO?s) will fight for the interim title against Gamaliel Diaz (23-7-2, 10 KO?s) on October 11 in Mexico and then, according to Sulaiman the WBC will decide at its annual convention in Guangzhou , China ?who is going to be the challenger to Soto.?
Don Jose said the WBC will allow Pacquiao to keep his lightweight title for ninety days after the December 6 bout against De La Hoya stating that Pacquiao ?must fight again or have a signed contract to defend the lightweight title within 90 days.?
The WBC president said that ?in respect for Manny we are going to give him the opportunity not to take away his title? but emphasized that he must defend the WBC lightweight crown or at least sign to defend the title 90 days after December 6.
Meantime, both Soto and Diaz tipped the scales at exactly the 130 pound limit at the official weigh-in on the eve of their showdown.
In a hugely controversial ending to his last fight which was for the interim title, Soto was disqualified by referee Joe Cortez in his clash with Francisco Lorenzo but after polling the board of governors the WBC chose not to award the title to Lorenzo due to the botched-up ending and ordered an interim title fight between Soto and Diaz.
Diaz is coming off a 4th round TKO victory over unheralded Juan Velasquez.
The interim title fight which will take place on Sunday, Manila Time, will be held at the Coliseo Centenario in Mexico.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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