Brick City Boxing

By Mike Indri
Retired Boxers Foundation
Photo: Tom Casino

After having had spoken with several boxing professionals working the championship bout, and watched over and over the grainy images of the shameful fight's round eleven, I still had my reservations writing this story. Kendall Holt is a friend, and an active supporter of the Retired Boxers Foundation-usually he wears an RBF patch on his boxing trunks.

[More:]

The last thing I would want to do is insult him, and also tarnish my image, by writing a biased piece, on another fighter who simply said he "got robbed" fighting in his opponent's backyard. This is not that type of story, and being as unbiased and 100% neutral, as every writer must always be, everything about that WBO Jr. Welterweight title fight; before, during and after, proves that the only way Kendall Holt had any chance of getting out of Colombia with that title belt in his luggage would have been if he had knocked champion Ricardo Torres out cold - and even then Genaro Rodriguez, a poor excuse for a professional referee, may have added another inexcusable blunder during his embarrassingly pitiful job, serving as the third man in the ring, to not let that happen.

I'm not going to discuss the early knockdown of Torres, which Rodriguez ruled a slip, or the fact that after a Holt shot dropped Torres flat on his back late in round 6, Rodriguez insisted on the corner getting dried, delaying the start of round seven, giving the champion extra time to recover. We won't bring up the fact that after scoring the big sixth round knockdown, Holt getting smacked in the face with a beer can, tossed in from the stands. Rodriguez gave no reaction when notified by Holt.

What needs to be addressed is the unthinkable and totally out of control chaos that referee Rodriguez failed to correct, or even acknowledge, during the final minutes of round eleven, the eventual end of the fight.
After a thunderous left hook by Torres drove Holt into the ropes, a proper knockdown, the 1,600 plus in attendance at the Barranquilla Jumbo Salon Country Club in lustful exuberance for their hero, tossed beer cans, bottles and ice into the ring; dangerously littering and dousing the canvas. Not only was Holt trying to survive the onslaught of the knockout minded twenty-seven year old Colombian, who was making the first defense of his title, the Paterson, NJ native now also had to contend with the perils of falling, getting cut or even getting hit with another beer can or flying debris while trying to clear the cobwebs and stave off his powerful opponent.

Not once during these dangerous moments - with Torres and Rodriguez also in harms way - did referee Rodriguez ever consider calling for time, so as to clear the ring canvas of all the beer, ice and debris.
Rodriguez told Herald News boxing writer Keith Idec after the fight, "Obviously, if I stopped the round because of the slippery floor, then he (Holt) has got an opportunity to recover. OK? So, I have to make a decision. In the neutral corner, when I stopped the fight, he (Holt) was unresponsive. He was taking punches, and (when) the life of a man is in jeopardy, it's my duty to safeguard that." At the time of the stoppage Holt, now 22-2 (12 KO's) is throwing a punch and then vehemently, and clearheadedly, disputes the fight's abrupt end.

Prior to that fateful Torres left hook and going into the eleventh road, Kendall Holt was leading on two of the three judge's scorecards. Only the Colombian judge had Torres ahead. That's another story in itself, a Colombian judge and another judge whose last name just happens to be Torres. Where else, but the boxing business, would this insinuation of a conflict of interest even be allowed to happen?
Nowhere else.

According to several of Holt's handlers, afterwards in the hotel lobby, a still seething Holt wrongfully lashed out, verbally, to Genaro Rodriguez, whom the twenty-six year old fighter felt was personally responsible for his not being a champion at that very moment. To the shock and disbelief of all present, Rodriguez aggressively outdid the defeated Holt, spewing his own tirade of expletives and challenging Team Holt. Fortunately for all, cooler heads prevailed and Holt's night in futility was finally over.

While not proper, or excusable, in light of the situation Holt could be afforded some leeway for his outburst. What cannot, and must not, be condoned is the absolute unprofessional actions of a supposed licensed, professional, official representing the World Boxing Organization acting like an idiotic fool. Rodriguez proved himself to be an inept referee in a boxing match of the highest magnitude, which had career, and life, altering implications on many people. Outside the ring, Rodriguez further embarrassed himself, and his profession, with actions so absurd and surreal that a full review is warranted prior to, if ever again, letting this incompetent Chicago based referee in the ring to work.

One thing that must not be overshadowed in all this mess is the absolute championship will and heart of Ricardo Torres. The ever courageous battler who came up on the short end of a knock down, drag out slugfest against then 140 pound champion Miguel Cotto (09/25/05 KO7), proved his championship mettle by hanging in there with the highly talented Holt, and forcing the action in that fateful round eleven. Never giving up or taking a backward step Torres caught Holt with a monster left hook late in the round, and sensing his foe was hurt did what he had to do to keep his title.

Whatever complaints Kendall Holt and his team have, none of them can be attributed to Ricardo Torres, who fought his heart out. His fortitude and no quit approach for the entire fight was what put him in the position to win, and once that opportunity presented itself, Torres, now 32-1 (28 KO's), acted like a true champion and seized the moment.

So much talk recently has been focused on Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and how this form of fighting has garnered a big chunk of the boxing viewership, and subsequently the bigger Pay-Per-View dollars, and sponsorship money. The so-called "experts" will try to determine the reasons why this trend has developed, as well as its cause and effect.
Bottom line is this…Boxing is here to stay and will always be here.
MMA has taken the smart business approach; more regulation, stricter guidelines and a respectful attitude for what it sees as most important - their fans! MMA fans know that they can expect to see matches were more often than not the better man - that night - will win the fight, and at no time will a referee or judge have a wrongful impact in the outcome of a bout.

At no time would you ever see the disgraceful conduct witnessed in Colombia allowed to happen, and continue to persist, during an MMA fightcard, or the actions of a bungling referee like Genaro Rodriguez being tolerated, and most important - worthy fighters than Kendall Holt would not be denied their championships.

Kendall Holt has now since traveled back home, with a loss instead of a title belt. The World Boxing Organization and its President, Francisco Valcarel, Esq., now has the opportunity, as well as the obligation, to do what is proper in regards to this debacle. Time will tell if their business approach and respect for the boxing fan is paramount in their overall decision. Let's hope so - then we can look forward to Ricardo Torres-Kendall Holt ll. This time the fight won't be held in Colombia and referee Genaro Rodriguez will not be allowed anywhere near the arena, let alone the inside of a boxing ring.