CABAZON, CALIFORNIA — Veteran Kendall Holt ( 28-5, 16 KOs) quickly silenced whisperings of him being washed up with a quick and thorough beating of Tim Coleman (19-3-1, 5 KOs) last night on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.
Coleman, who had boasted over the past week that Holt was “pretty much shot,” found himself wobbled early in the first round from a counter right hook. Holt followed with a thudding left hook to the body. Now wary of his foe’s power, Coleman tried to establish his jab from the outside. Holt showed faster hands and countered a lazy lead right with slashing left hook to the body that dropped a wincing Coleman to his knees.
Coleman survived the opening three minutes but was mentally and physically broken from the knockdown. Holt immediately went back to the body but also brought his inside hooks upstairs for a second knockdown against the ropes. Coleman rose but inexplicably engaged Holt with his hands by his waist and was stunned by a left hook. Holt followed up with several hooks inside for a third knockdown. Coleman was put down again quickly with a series of hooks against the ropes for another knockdown which prompted Coleman’s corner to throw in the towel.
The win was Roy Jones Jr.’s debut as a cornerman/trainer for Kendall Holt, who cited the former champion’s advice as instrumental in this victory. Holt added that while many fighters such as Devon Alexander, Tim Bradley and Marcos Maidana have moved up to welterweight, he will continue to campaign at 140 pounds.
“I wanted to go to welterweight but after talking to Roy Jones, my dad and Buddy McGirt, I’m going to stay at junior welterweight,” said Holt.
“The fight was good. I was more patient with my jab than usual. There were a couple of things he was doing in there that got me a little hesitant at first, but Roy [Jones] told me to keep using my jab. The more I was relaxed the more I started to see things. I’m percent 100% satisfied with this victory.”
“I thought Kendall looked very good,” explained Jones. “We have a couple of things we got to work on, but I think he’s on his way back.”
The win puts Holt back in the victory column after losing a title eliminator in his last fight against Danny Garcia. Coleman suffers his second consecutive knockout loss.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 