21.11.06 – “If they don’t want it, bring on Malignaggi!” – Dino Duva, promoter for lightning-fisted super lightweight contender Kendall “Rated R” Holt (21-1, 12 KOs), wishes to send his best wishes to a new champion: “Congratulations to Ricardo Torres for winning the WBO Championship over the weekend against Mike Arnaoutis.” ..
Colombia’s Torres (30-1, 27 KOS) won his belt via split decision on the PPV-televised undercard of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Eric Morales III card at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. Holt, meanwhile, is coming off an electrifying and nationally televised unanimous decision victory over then red-hot South African Isaac Hlatshwayo on November 3.
“Kendall Holt wants Ricardo Torres. We think it’s a great fight,” says Duva. “In Holt, you’ve got the fastest hands in the division. And don’t forget the power he possesses. In Torres, you’ve got a relentless fighter with hands of stone. It’s power and speed against power and pressure and it’s a guaranteed shootout for as long as it lasts. We know the major television networks would love this sensational fight and we’re hoping to get it done as quickly as possible.”
Duva says he and Torres’s promoter, Bob Arum, have already begun preliminary talks of making it happen. “We’d love to fight Torres immediately. Bob and I have already discussed the possibility of it and I’m optimistic all the details can be worked out quickly.”
However, if the Torres camp chooses to ignore this potentially star-making match-up for their fighter, Duva says he’s got another contender in mind for Holt. “Kendall is ready for a big fight in January. If for some reason Torres can’t be ready in that time frame, we hear that Paulie Malignaggi is looking for someone to fight on HBO. We’d love to fight Paulie in the meantime if the Torres people back out. How about Paulie fights Kendall on HBO and the winner fights Torres?”