Estadio Centenario, Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico: In a sloppy fight, former two-division world champ Humberto Soto (56-7-2, 33 KOs) battered and eventually stopped Nicaragua’s Jose Alfaro (25-8, 22 KOs) in the second round of their scheduled 10-round junior welterweight bout.
With both fighters bleeding from headbutts, Soto connected with a wicked shot in the second round that had Alfaro out on his feet and stumbling, looking to hold on. After a couple more solid shots from Soto, the referee moved in to call an end to the bout.
Centro de Convenciones, San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosí, Mexico: The WBC’s No. 1-ranked middleweight contender Marco Antonio Rubio (52-5-1, 45 KOs) had little trouble with Ghana’s Mohammed Akrong (13-4, 10 KOs), stopping his opponent in the fifth round of their scheduled 12.
Akrong was game and tried to make it a fight, but Rubio was just too strong and skilled. The veteran from Torreon, Coahuila simply walked down his opponent, busted him up to the body and head and dropped him in the fifth round from an accumulation of punches. Akrong would beat the count, but the ref ruled the battered African unable to continue.
Foro Promo Casa, Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico: Omar Chavez (27-0-1, 20 KOs) made quick work of club fighter Alberto Martinez (15-2, 10 KOs), taking some marginal shots early, but then putting his opponent away at the end of the first round with a short left hook that sent Martinez’s mouth guard flying and Martinez, himself, crumpling to the canvas. Martinez was able to beat the count, but was in no shape to continue.
In the co-feature, Jorge Paez Jr. (29-4-1, 18 KOs) walked through his opponent, dropping journeyman, Rodrigo Juarez (15-14-1, 11 KOs) in the first minute of the bout and then putting him away for good in the third.
The Chavez and Paez wins clear the way for the rumored bout between the two second-generation welterweights.
