Pacquiao-Margarito Undercard: Jones Keeps His Titles

Fight: JESUS SOTO-KARASS, Los Mochis, Mexico, 24-4-3-1, 16 KOs vs. CHAMPION MIKE JONES, Philadelphia, PA, 22-0, 18 KOs

Division: 10 Rounds – NABA NABO WBC Cont. Am. Welterweight Title

Result: Jones Wins By MD

Detail: This was a straight-up action fight. Both men came to win, with each getting the better of the other man at times. The first of several spectacular moments came in the second, when Jones released the hatch and carpet-bombed Soto-Karass for what seemed like forever but what was probably more like a minute. Nevertheless, Soto-Karass not only withstood the assault; he came back in the third as if the opening bell had just rung. Amazing.

Blood streaming from his right eye, Soto-Karass pressured Jones the entire fight. And in the eighth, he was even able to stun Jones enough to knock him back into the ropes. For his part, Jones used the weapon he’d been working on during training camp: his jab. Armed with that straight left, Jones was able to both keep Soto-Karass at bay and absorb his blows. Again: Amazing.

All in all, there was hardly a lull in the action, which is due primarily to Soto-Karass’s relentlessness. That said, the way Jones was able to pump that left jab and use it to set up his right was his saving grace.

Simply put: This was a grueling, brutal bout. If one of the men would’ve fallen, nobody would’ve thought the worse of him. And that was exactly what Jones needed: a solid victory over a quality opponent. That the fight was so damn entertaining only increases his chances of going to the next level.

The judges scored it 94-94, 95-94, and 97-93.