Boxing News Boxing News
|
|
In a torrid, 61 second affair last night at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, NV, WBO Light Welterweight Champion Ricardo Torres and Kendall Holt engaged in a vicious rematch that ended in shocking fashion.
The pair started the bout with a simultaneous exchange of left hooks before Torres slipped a Holt jab and connected with a massive right hand that dropped Holt hard on the canvas after just 15 seconds of action.. Holt popped up immediately and beat the count with no lingering effects of the knockdown.
A pure dogfight then broke out in at center ring as Torres and Holt threw defense to the wind and let go with everything they had. Both found the target but the heavier shots of Torres had Holt looking to grab on to his opponent.
© Tom Casino / Showtime Boxing
Torres simply backed up and banged two rights followed by a left off the head of Holt, who slumped to his knees on the canvas. As the New Jersey native was getting back up, Torres slugged him with a left hook to the head before referee Jay Nady could break up the pair and administer a count to Holt.
Holt again was bouncing on his toes as the action resumed and Torres once again found the mark with a big, roundhouse left hook as Holt backpedaled towards the ropes.
Torres gave chase and found the mark with a jab but missed the follow up right hand as Holt held gloves high around his head and crouched against the ropes near a corner. By this time, Torres was using his hands just for punching and they were nowhere near a guard position as he missed a wide right – left combination.
Holt hit Torres with a left to the body before thrusting himself upward in preparation for right hand attempt but before the punch could land, Holt’s right eyebrow smacked hard into the jaw of Torres.
© Tom Casino / Showtime Boxing
Torres was hurtled back and would have likely gone down from the force of the unintentional headbutt if it weren’t for the ropes. Holt missed the initial right hand but didn’t miss the next one as the obviously stricken champion was in a daze from the headbutt and was knocked out, held up in a tangled crouch amid the ropes.
Referee Nady stopped his count and waved off the action after counting to five.
© Tom Casino / Showtime Boxing
Kendall Holt wins the WBO Light Welterweight title, improving to 24-2 (13), while Torres falls to 32-2 (28). A third bout could be in the making due to the unusual nature of the ending of the rematch.
On the undercard, light welter prospect Lamont Peterson, 25-0 (12), didn’t have an easy time with Mexican veteran Rogelio Castaneda, 24-14-3 (8), but won just about every round behind a committed body attack before Castaneda’s corner asked for the contest to be stopped at 2:50 of the ninth frame.
© Tom Casino / Showtime Boxing
Peterson is likely nearing a world title opportunity but given the lack of difficulty Castaneda had finding range with the right hand, an improvement in defensive capabilities should be at the top of Peterson’s to do list.
© Tom Casino / Showtime Boxing
