NEW YORK (Oct. 27, 2008) – Their first two world championship bouts were unforgettable, action-packed and controversial. Now, World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight champion Kendall “Rated R’’ Holt (24-2, 13 KOs) will take on Ricardo “Mochuelo’’ Torres (32-2, 28 KOs) in the final chapter of a thrilling trilogy on Saturday, Dec. 13, live on a special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast)..
Tickets are now on sale for the event, which is promoted by Top Rank, Inc., for Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. Tickets at $200, $100 and $50 are available on www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 1-800-736-1420, or at any Ticketmaster outlet nationwide. Tickets can also be purchased at the Boardwalk Hall box office. The box office is open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. till 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. (event day hours are subject to change).
Tied at one win a piece, the decisive rubber match will eliminate any and all disputes from the previous fights, which lasted a total of 12 rounds, and determine who reigns supreme in the 140-pound division.
In a rematch on July 5, 2008, in Las Vegas, Holt and Torres combined to knock down each other three times in 61 seconds on ShoBox: The New Generation in one of the most dramatic and explosive opening rounds in history.
After Torres floored Holt 13 seconds into the bout with a right to the head, the then-defending champion decked the challenger a second time 21 seconds later.
With fans thinking the fight was over, Holt rallied to connect with an overhand right to Torres’ face, sending Torres crashing to the ropes. Moments later, the referee Jay Nady halted an incredible slugfest at 1:01. Torres, who was making his third defense of the WBO crown, suffered only his second career loss and relinquished the belt to Holt.
In their initial encounter, Torres retained the crown with a hotly debated 11th-round TKO over Holt on Sept. 1, 2007, in the champion’s hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia. Holt, of Paterson, N.J., knocked down Torres with a left-right combination in the sixth session and was ahead on two of the three scorecards entering what would become the final round.
But Torres dropped Holt with a right hand near his corner in the 11th. As Holt attempted to use his legs and hold on, he continuously slipped on a wet surface caused by fans who hurled beer cans, sodas and water into the ring. Despite the fact that the fighters had to dodge ice cubes and various liquids, referee Genaro Rodriguez declined to stop the match and dry the ring’s surface. Instead, he halted the contest with Holt still on his feet late in the 11th round.
Nick Charles will call the action from ringside with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst. The executive producer of ShoBox is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing. ShoBox recently celebrated seven outstanding years on the air.
For more information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please go the new SHOWTIME Sports website at http://sports.sho.com.
October 29 “Knockout Knights” Undercard Announced!
(Lyndhurst, NJ) October 27, 2008—This Wednesday, October 29, boxing makes its long overdue return to the beautiful Medieval Times Castle in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. Mike Indri’s Dignity Promotions presents “Knockout Knights”. The exciting boxing card will be the first professional boxing event held at Medieval Times since 1997. Headlining the card will be former Junior Welterweight Champion “Vicious” Vivian Harris (23-3-1, 18 KOs) taking on tough Nicaraguan, Octavio Narvaez (7-4-1, 4 KOs) in a 10-round 140lbs showdown.
Says Harris, “I think I just need this one fight to put me back in there, I don’t think that I need a bunch of fights. I am ready. I am ready to take on the champions right now. I have been there before, I have been off for one year but it was not because of me. I have been training for fights that did not come through, whatever they offer me I am ready for it.”
The exciting card also features USBA welterweight champion Luajan Simon (19-0 10 KOs) taking on Puerto Rico’s Emmanuel Gonzalez (9-3, 4 KOs). Simon is looking to stay busy while waiting for bigger opportunities to come to the forefront. Too dangerous and risky for a higher ranked contenders to challenge, the affable 29 year-old Simon simply uses his current dilemma as motivation.
“I’m willing to take on whoever is in front of me, to get to Kelly Pavlik. My goal is to be world champion!” says Simon. “I see this guy Lorenzo, and John Duddy ranked ahead of me, I’ll fight them.”
Amateur national champion Micheal Perez makes his professional debut in a 4 round lightweight bout against Leon Williams.
Rounding out the card is heavyweight Alex Mejias (7-1) battling Bernard Brown (6-4-2, 3 KOs), featherweight Carlos Zambrano (3-0) takes on Soumana Abdoulaye (0-2), and light heavyweight Antonio Toribio (0-2) faces Andre Espeut (1-0).
Tickets are limited but still available. Tickets are priced at $50.00 (Ringside), $40.00 (Reserved), and $30.00 (General Admission).
Corporate VIP tables are also available and include a “Meet & Greet” with many former boxing greats. Scheduled to appear: Chuck Wepner, Alex Ramos, Renaldo Snipes, Bobby Czyz, Micky Ward, and others!
The Medieval Times Castle is located at 149 Polito Avenue in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.
To purchase tickets, call (201) 741-4994, go to www.dignityboxing.com. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., first bout begins at 7:30 p.m.
LOCAL ATHLETE SET TO WIN PROVINCIAL BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP
17-year-old David Palacios (Pah LAH’ see-ohs) plans to add another title to his growing list of victories in the boxing ring. The 17-year old from St. Mary’s High School in Kitchener is competing at the Ontario Open Boxing Championships taking place in Oshawa Thursday, October 30th to Sunday, November 2nd.
Palacios, a southpaw, already has an impressive showing for his mere 2 years in the ring. In 2006 he was the Arnie Boehm Champion, and in 2007 he was the Ray Gibbons Champion as well as being chosen the Best Male Boxer of that competition. He was also showcased as Boxing Ontario’s athlete of the month in May 2007.
Born in Nicaragua, Palacios notes his heroes as being 3-time world champion Alexis ‘The Explosive Thin Man’ Arguello – also from Nicargua – and local World Champion, Fitz ‘The Whip’ Vanderpool. The Whip has been training Palacios for the past two years, and says he noticed right off that David was championship material. “He’s naturally skilled – gifted – for this sport. He picks things up quickly and moves very fast. I’m training a winner!”
Fitz ‘The Whip’ Vanderpool is one of Canada’s most celebrated and most decorated professional boxers. He won 5 Professional Boxing belts including the Canadian Professional Boxing Federation Champion Belt, and was crowned World Boxing Federation Super Welterweight Champion of the World. He retired from professional boxing in 2005 and is living his vision of training young boxers, male and female, at The Whip Boxing Academy in Kitchener.
Palacios isn’t the only winner to come out of The Whip Boxing Academy. Christian O’Brien was the 2007 Ringside World Champion, Jessamine (JESS’ ah-mihn) Hunsdale Loh captured the 2005 Canadian Featherweight Championship and the 2007 Canadian Super Featherweight Championship, and Ben Shamoon nailed down the 2007 Canadian Junior Super Welterweight Championship, and brought home silver from the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games.
Vanderpool says this win is important to Palacios as it’s David’s last year to compete as a Junior. It’s also the stepping stone to the Canadian Open Boxing Championships being held January 2009 in Trois Riviere, Quebec.
Palacios is scheduled for this first bout this Friday at 1pm when he takes on Ryan Wagner from Orangeville.