Photos by Chris Farina – TopRank – Ten months after a wildly controversial ending to their first fight, Ricardo Torres will defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight title against No. 1 contender Kendall Holt in a rematch on a special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation on Saturday, July 5, 2008, live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast)..
In the 10-round junior welterweight co-feature, undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA)/WBO No. 5 140-pound contender Lamont Peterson (24-0, 11 KOs) will put his undefeated record on the line against former International Boxing Association champion Rogelio Castaneda. Top Rank will promote both contests from the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.
Torres (32-1, 28 KOs), who will defend his WBO crown for a third time, rallied to score a hotly debated 11th-round TKO over Holt (23-2, 12 KOs) on Sept. 1, 2007, in the champion’s hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia.
RICARDO TORRES
“Holt is a sore loser. He didn’t take advantage of the fight when he could have.”
“I know how Holt fights. I know what I need to do. All I am concerned about is keeping my title and bringing it back to Colombia.”
“The key to any fight is preparation, and we have done that. We saw a couple of mistakes that we made and we are going to correct them for next time.”
“The first fight was great, but it is going to be even better this time if Holt is in as great shape as he said he is.”
“There was no controversy in the first fight. It was a clean fight. Holt is just a sore loser.”
“Holt probably got treated better than I did when he was in Colombia for the first fight.”
“I thought I had the fight under control and Holt caught me. I was hurt, but I got out of the round. I was told I was behind on points, so I knew I had to go for the knockout.”
“I have shown that I can take a punch, get up and continue fighting. Anyone can get hit with a good shot and go down. It is what you do after getting knocked down that counts.”
“Winning the title was a huge thing for me, my family and my country. My father has always been behind me, so it was great to win a championship for him.”
“I have been able to make some money and help my family.”
“A lot of people look at me and think I am just a skinny kid, but they change their mind after feeling my punch.”
KENDALL HOLT
“After I dropped Torres in the sixth round, I got hit with a beer can. From that point on, I was thinking, ‘If I knock this guy out, will I make it back in one piece?’ ”
“As much as I tried to stay focused, it was hard because I was in another country.”
“After that knockdown, I went back to the corner and don’t remember a word that my trainer said. I was just thinking that I got hit with a beer can and nothing was done about it.”
“I told the referee (about getting hit with a beer can). He didn’t see it and told me to fight. Everybody saw it, but nobody did anything about it.”
“Something was thrown in the ring in one of my previous fights in Atlantic City, and the fight was stopped. In the Torres fight, everything kept going after I got hit by the beer can.”
“I am ready to erase any doubts that anyone had of me winning the first fight.”
“The first fight against Torres was definitely an experience. It was not like anything I have experienced before.”
“I have been concentrating on my jab and my right hand during training. I have been working on strengthening my right hand and being more active in this fight.”
“Torres has decent speed, but speed and power don’t bother me. I didn’t get hit that often in the first fight. I have superior boxing skills and I have to keep my guard up in the rematch. I can’t get hurt if I don’t get hit.”
“There is not much else Torres can do or try against me. A leopard cannot change its spots. Once you get into a fight, you usually resort back to what you usually do. Torres has not done enough for a long period of time for it to be natural.”
“I really wasn’t looking forward to the Torres rematch after all of the appeals. I was just looking forward to moving on with my career.”
“I was worried about the judges before the last fight. I am a man, and if he beats me, he beats me. I just don’t want to be cheated.”
“This fight is going to be a lot different than the first one. The first fight is out of my mind. I am in better shape than last time. I know Torres is going to come and bring the thunder. I welcome that. I want him to come and bring the pressure.”
“There are going to be fireworks on July 4th, and there damn sure are going to be fireworks on the fifth.”
“I look forward to beating Torres’ ass and bringing the belt back to New Jersey. This is nothing personal, but I want that belt. I have nothing against him. This is what I do to feed my family.”
“Lamont Peterson is going to open the door on July 5. When I step into the ring, I am going to shut it closed.”
LAMONT PETERSON
“I’m just really looking forward to this fight. Stars are born in Vegas. I ready to grow up in this fight and put on a great performance.”