(Press Release)

Guilty Boxing featherweight contender Humberto “El Zorrita� Soto of Mexico faces Ricardo “Rocky� Juarez in a nationally televised 12-round bout for the World Boxing Council’s interim 126-pound championship Aug. 20 in Rosemont, Ill.

Soto, ranked No. 2 by the WBC among featherweights, has a record of 36-5-2 with 21 knockouts while Juarez, rated No. 1 by the WBC, has a mark of 23-0 with 16 knockouts.

Both boxers are 25 years old, but the lanky 5-foot-9-inch Soto has a five-inch height advantage and a six-inch reach edge at 73 to 67.

The Soto-Juarez bout is the co-main event on the HBO “Boxing After Dark� show from the Allstate Arena that features two former world champions, Fernando Vargas against Javier Castillejo.

Soto, from Los Mochis, has won 13 straight and 22 of his past 23 bouts dating back to 1999. He’s coming off a 10-round technical knockout of Ismael Gonzalez on a Guilty Boxing card Dec. 10 in Tijuana, Mexico. All four of Soto’s wins during 2004 ended early as well: Gerardo Zayas in the eighth round on a Guilty Boxing card Sept. 12 in Tijuana; Wilson Alcorro in the sixth round on a Guilty Boxing card in May 28 Las Vegas, Angel Alirio Rivero in the first round April 30 in Los Mochis and Oscar Galindo in the third round on a Guilty Boxing card Feb. 16 in Tijuana.

Soto, who turned pro during 1999 at the age of 17, is managed by Ignacio Huizar and Gilberto Valenzuela and trained by Carlos Valenzuela.