[.PK]

Holt retains title!
Sunday, December 14 2008
By Andreas Hale & Kurt Wolfheimer at ringside
Photo: Ed Mulholland


WBO jr welterweight champion Kendall Holt (25-3, 13 KOs) retained his title with a twelve round split decision over previously unbeaten late sub WBO #10 Demetrius Hopkins (28-1-1, 11 KOs) on Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Holt pressed the action and outworked Hopkins most the way. Scores were 116-112 117-111 for Holt and 115-113 for Hopkins on the card of Julie Lederman. Hopkins - who was scheduled in an undercard bout on the same event - accepted the title fight on Monday when Holt's original foe Ricardo Torres pulled out.

In a typical Yuri Foreman performance, the WBA #4/WBC #8 rated jr. middleweight outboxed WBC #10 James Moore (16-2, 10 KOs) over ten rounds. Foreman (27-0, 8 KOs) peppered Moore with quick punches all night en route to a 99-90, 99-91, 100-90 win. The fight was for Foreman's NABF belt.

Top Rank's highly regarded Olympian middleweight Matt Korobov (5-0, 4 KOs) destroyed Jason Wahr (5-8-2, 2 KOs), dropping Wahr three times in round one before the bout was stopped at the 2:52 mark.

Super lightweight "Son of the Legend" Omar Chavez (13-0-1, 10 KOs) needed just 1:50 to demolish Brian Carden (6-7, 7 KOs).

Bantamweight Jorge Diaz (7-0, 5 KOs) outpointed Saul Gutierrez (6-14-2, 2 KOs) over six rounds. Scores were 58-56, 60-54, 60-54.

Unbeaten Super flyweight Qa'id Muhammad (4-0, 4 KOs) recovered from a first round knockdown to KO Julio Valadez (3-2) at 2:18 of round three.

Heavyweight Alex Mejias moved to 8-1, 3 KOs after a fifth round stoppage of 345lb Michael Rhodes (3-4-3, 1 KO). Time was 1:53.

In his pro debut, super welterweight Glenn Tapia (1-0, 1 KO) dropped Edward Smith (1-2, 1 KO) three times en route to a second round TKO. Time was 1:00.