by James Slater – In great news that all fight fans will surely be extremely happy about, the hugely anticipated rubber match between light-welterweights Kendal Holt, 24-2(13) and Ricardo Torres, 32-2(28) is on for December 13th, probably at The Boardwalk Hall, New Jersey. ESPN. com broke the news, and revealed that Top Rank president Todd duBoef informed them just yesterday evening that the third and deciding fight was on. The bout will air as a special edition of Showtime’s “ShoBox The Next Generation..”
“I think it’s so compelling, this rivalry,” deBoef told ESPN. “It’s why Showtime and Top Rank wanted to make this happen. It’s these type of fights that make the sport so special. These guys have given the fans amazing action. They’re both legit punchers who have fought twelve memorable rounds.”
Indeed they have. And the reason the two have fought twelve rounds is because fight #1, back in September of 2007, lasted into the 11th-round, while the rematch, taking place this past July, was all over inside one of the most astonishingly electrifying rounds ever seen. Both bouts had their moments of controversy, as fight fans are aware. Now, on December 13th, the pair will get it on again in a bid to settle their differences and sort out once and for all who the better fighter is.
The first fight had spectator interference, debatable calls by the referee and a stoppage that saw Holt, who was leading on all three judges’ cards, screaming for a rematch. He got it, and fight two saw yet more controversy. Inside a breathtaking 61-seconds, there were three knockdowns, a head-butt, a cut and a devastating KO, as “Rated R” got his much sought revenge. What will fight three bring us?
It won’t be dull, that’s for sure. With these two 140-pounders going at it with everything to prove the bombs really are going to fly. We may get another long affair like their first meeting, or we may even get another sensational and quick slugfest similar to the one we got in the return match. Both men are fast, can really bang and are desperate to win the decider. What’s not to like?
Almost forgotten is the fact that the WBO light-welterweight strap will be on the line. They don’t need an alphabet title to sell this one! For the winner, aside from immense pride at having emerged the winner in one of the best lower weight rivalries of recent years, are a whole lot of potentially huge paydays.
December 13th is sure to be some great night of boxing in the 140-pound division.