Split decision? That didn’t tell the story of the “ShoBox: The New Generation” main event on Friday in Topeka, Kansas.
Ardreal Holmes had a formula that seemed to frustrate Ismael Villarreal for most of a 10-round battle between 154-pound prospects, which impressed two of the three judges and kept the Flint, Michigan fighter’s perfect record intact.
The third judge, Karen Holderfield, somehow made Villarreal win six rounds, but her colleagues overruled her.
Holmes, much taller than the stocky Villarreal, had a simple game plan: use his jab to keep his foe on the outside, throw enough combinations to score points, and simply hold back the aggressive Villarreal when he managed to work his way inside. internal.
This was the pattern for most of what appeared to be a clear victory for Holmes.
Villarreal (12-1, 8 KOs) was the aggressor for much of the fight, which evidently was significant for Holderfield. And he had some good moments in some of the middle rounds and the tenth, when at the end he fought with abandon in an attempt to stop Holmes.
However, that wasn’t enough for the Bronx native to avoid his first setback. Holmes (13-0, 5 KOs) won by scores of 97-93, 96-94 and 94-96. Boxing Junkie scored it 98-92 for Holmes, eight rounds to two.
In another featured fight, Edward Vazquez of Forth Worth, Texas defeated Misael Lopez of Denver via split decision in a close 10-round featherweight fight.
Two judges scored it for Vazquez, 96-93 and 95-94. The third judge had Lopez win 95-94.
Vazquez (14-1, 3 KOs) put down Lopez (14-2, 5 KOs) in round two, which proved to be the difference in the fight.
And, in a scheduled eight-round 140-pound fight, Kurt Scoby (11-0, 9 KOs) of the Los Angeles area put Australia’s John Mannu (7-1-1, 4 KOs) down four times and he stopped it at 1:40 of the second round.
