Jones (24-0) retains welterweight titles by winning rematch with Soto-Karass
Mike Jones showed he didn't need a sledgehammer to defeat Jesus Soto-Karass when a scalpel worked better.
The Philadelphia welterweight retained his WBC Continental Americas, NABO and NABA titles Saturday at Mandalay Bay Events Center, carving up Soto-Karass while remaining undefeated in a 12-round unanimous decision.
Judge Duane Ford scored the fight 115-113, Robert Hoyle saw it 116-112 and Ricardo Ocasio had it 117-111.
"The game plan was lateral movement," Jones (24-0, 18 knockouts) said. "Keep moving all the time, stay away and use my ring generalmanship."
In their first meeting, Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium, the 27-year-old Jones used bombs-away tactics in the second round but didn't put Soto-Karass away. He punched himself out and held on for a 10-round win.
In Saturday's rematch, Jones' plan was to outbox his opponent. It proved to be highly successful.
A minute into the third round, Jones, a minus-500 betting favorite, opened a cut over Soto-Karass' left eye. Late in the round, his right eye was cut. Both cuts were ruled to be the result of punches.
With Soto-Karass' corner desperately trying to stop the flow of blood before the start of the fourth round, referee Kenny Bayless explained the situation, that no head butt caused the cuts. The fight continued, and Soto-Karass came out of his corner a desperate fighter.
The 28-year-old threw punches in bunches, but few connected. Jones countered beautifully with the jab, reopening the cuts over both eyes as he began to take control.
Soto-Karass attempted to rally. He had a good seventh round and landed a solid shot to Jones' midsection in the ninth.
Jones answered with a huge combination from his Dallas playbook late in the 10th round. But Soto-Karass weathered the onslaught and made it out for the 11th.
Soto-Karass survived to the end, but he was a bloody mess after the final bell.
"He was much more mobile," Soto-Karass (24-6-3, 16 KOs) said. "He wasn't stationary like the last fight, and he made it hard for me to hit him."
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.
