Commanding win sets up fight with WBO Champ Torres.
By Mike Indri
Retired Boxers Foundation
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – No one had to tell Kendall Holt the importance of his WBO jr. welterweight title fight eliminator bout against the rugged and dangerous “Mighty” Mike Arnaoutis. “This is my life,” the talented fighter from Paterson, NJ would say.
Headlining in Showtime’s “Sho-Box, The Next Generation” series Main Event, staged in Arnaoutis’s backyard of Atlantic City, would be a career defining, and life changing, fight for the twenty-five-year old boxer.The counter-punching, mega-skilled, Holt rose to the occasion, turning in one of the “smartest” fights in his twenty-three fight professional career.
Taking advantage of his superior hand speed and ring savvy, Holt carried the early rounds and was practically pitching a shutout at the fight’s midway point (59-55 on all three judge’s scorecards).
While it was Holt’s advantage in speed that was frustrating and shutting down any Arnaoutis attack, it was also the intelligent fight plan, which had the normally sound boxing and aggressive Greek contender fighting a tentative fight.
Outworking his overwhelmed opponent, Holt’s razor sharp jab most often found its mark, as Arnaoutis’s reddened face and bloodied head would attest. More importantly, the constant non-friendly reminder also stymied any chance Arnaoutis had of surmounting any kind of attack.
The fight was already in the bag for Holt, as both fighters touched gloves in the center of the ring, to begin the twelve and final round, but a short, swift right hand caught Arnaoutis flush on the chin and dropped the feisty fighter to the deck – on the seat of his pants!
Even though Arnaoutis easily beat referee Benjy Esteves’ count, the look of panic and concern filled the bruised and reddened face of “Mighty Mike”‘, who had NEVER been knocked down before, either in the amateurs or pros!
“I thought he (Arnaoutis) would be more aggressive, which would have allowed me to counter punch more. So, I just popped my jab” said the jubilant Holt afterwards.” I had to win this fight to get to the next level. I did, and now I’m fighting for the title!”
A tremendous win for Kendall Holt, now 22-1 (12 KO’s), who always had the talent and tools to move to the next level – and now has the maturity and smarts of a well disciplined and educated boxer. Next up for the WBO’s # 1 contender will be a title fight against current belt holder Ricardo Torres, who defeated the previously undefeated Arnaoutis, now 17-2-1 (9KO’s) for the vacant WBO title with a highly disputed split decision victory this past November in Las Vegas. The title became vacant once former division champion Miquel Cotto moved up to the 147 lb. class.
We wish Kendall well, as he has truly earned what boxing is just starting to give him