Boxing In America: Saturday Results

At Bally’s Park casino in Atlantic City last night, former WBO light welter titlist Kendall Holt saw his projected comeback bout go up in flames at the hands of South Africa’s Kaizer Mabuza.

Holt was coming off a difficult loss to WBA kingpin Timothy Bradley in a unification clash this past April but got right back in the deep water in an IBF elimination bout against Mabuza.

Johannesburg resident Mabuza came into the fight riding a two year, eight contest win streak that saw the 30 year old pick up the South African, IBF Intercontinental and WBA Pan African crowns along the way.

In the early going it looked like Holt was a class above Mabuza as the New Jersey man controlled the pace and distance. But by the third frame Mabuza had Holt figured out and went to work.

The visitor surprisingly beat the former champion to the punch time and time again and after the fifth Holt could not answer the bell for the sixth stanza.

Mabuza improves to 23-6-3 (14) in gaining his most important victory to date while Holt has now lost two straight to drop to 25-4 (13).

Rising welterweight star Mike Jones, 20-0 (16), of Philadelphia towered above former light welter contender Henry Bruseles, 28-4-1 (15), as he outpointed the Puerto Rican resident 98-92 twice and 97-92 over ten rounds to retain the NABA strap for the third time.

At the Bell Auditorium in August, Georgia, ex-world title challenger Raytona “The Stingray” Whitfield, 24-1 (12), stopped Sergio Espinoza, 16-7-1 (5), in the ninth to capture the vacant NABO flyweight trophy.

Former light welter title challenger Edner Cherry, 27-6-2 (15), knocked out super feather Delvin Placencia, 15-3 (6), in the second at lightweight.

Monroe Community College in Monroe, Michigan saw hometown hero and ex-WBO light middle titlist Bronco McKart, 52-9-1 (31), post a ten round decision over Jose Miguel Rodriguez Berrio, 20-4 (12), at middleweight.