In September 1999, Cesar Soto got together with Naseem Hamed for a photo near the Joe Louis monument in Downtown Detroit. Soto acknowledged that while Hamed was his most famous opponent, he may not have been the best. Soto, a tough boxer from Mexico, started his professional boxing career when he was young and eventually became a world champion at 27 after participating in 90 fights over a span of 25 years.
Originating from Durango, Mexico, Soto came from a modest, hardworking family and turned to boxing as a way to channel his natural fighting instincts. He experienced early success in his professional career but also faced setbacks with a number of defeats. Nonetheless, he persevered, improved his skills, and achieved victories over respected opponents such as Jose Luis Castillo and Louie Espinoza.
Even after a loss in a featherweight title eliminator in 1994, Soto made a comeback with a series of wins that led to him defeating Luisito Espinosa for the WBC featherweight title. However, his unification bout against Naseem Hamed resulted in a controversial loss for Soto, who criticized Hamed for what he saw as avoiding a fair fight by running instead of engaging in a proper bout.
After moving down to a lower weight division and suffering a loss to Oscar Larios, Soto’s career began to decline with successive defeats against formidable opponents. Despite these challenges, Soto’s determination and resilience were at the core of his boxing journey, demonstrating his unwavering spirit and fighting resolve.
