Powerful history behind Holt-Torres III

It was the most amazing round of boxing in 2008, and one of the greatest in years.

On July 5 at Planet Hollywood, Ricardo Torres knocked down Kendall Holt twice in the first 40 seconds of their WBO junior welterweight title fight. Clearly, this bout wasn't going to last long -- and it didn't.

Appearing doomed, Holt immediately rose from the canvas, tagged Torres with a desperate overhand right and knocked him out. After the 61-second fight, Holt's arm was being raised in victory.

Holt and Torres will fight for the third time Saturday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, and this time it will be Holt's WBO title at stake.

"I expect (Torres) to come with the same type of pressure as the last time," Holt said from his home in Paterson, N.J. "But the focus of my camp this time has been about getting slicker, not getting hit as much. He's one of the hardest punchers in the division, but I'm not going to let him take me out."

In the fighters' first meeting on Sept. 1, 2007 in Torres' native Colombia, Holt (24-2, 13 knockouts) lost a controversial 11th-round technical knockout to Torres (32-2, 28 KOs).

"I've taken his best but he couldn't take my best," Holt said. "People forget I put him down in our first fight and again in our second fight.

"I'm not looking for a knockout. If it comes, it comes. All I'm looking to do is put on a great show and win."

Holt said he would like a crack at a big-money fight, whether it's against Ricky Hatton, Manny Pacquiao or Paulie Malignaggi. But if he wins Saturday, he would first have a mandatory title defense against Timothy Bradley.

"To be part of such a deep division with so many big-name fighters is a dream come true," Holt said. "This is what I've worked my whole life for."

On Friday, Holt's camp found itself embroiled in controversy as his manager of two years, Henry Cortes, was arrested in New Jersey for conspiracy to traffic cocaine.

Cortes is a well-known figure in boxing in New Jersey.

• TAPEGATE -- There was a minor controversy prior to Friday's weigh-in for the Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao fight.

At the rules meeting, Freddie Roach, who trains Pacquiao and used to train De La Hoya, protested the kind of tape De La Hoya used to wrap his hands and the way his hands were wrapped.

Roach said the tape was rolled between De La Hoya's fingers, leaving Pacquiao susceptible to cuts. He also had an issue with the color of the tape, which was brown. Most fighters use white tape.

The Nevada Athletic Commission said the tape used for fighters' hands must be surgeon's adhesive tape no more than 11/2 inches wide. De La Hoya uses 2-inch brown tape.

The commission ruled that De La Hoya can use the brown tape, but that it had to be cut in half to 1 inch when it is rolled between his fingers.

• THANKS, BUT NO THANKS -- Cruiserweight BJ Flores, who trains in Las Vegas with Kenny Adams, was offered a title shot against Enzo Maccarinelli for the vacant WBO belt.

The only problem: Flores would have had to take the fight on four days' notice and fly to London to fight Maccarinelli on Saturday. Flores passed, saying four days wasn't enough time.

"I told the promoter to give me two weeks to prepare," said Flores (21-0-1, three KOs). "But they said, 'Take it or leave it.' "

Maccarinelli, ranked No. 3 by the WBO, needed a new opponent after Johnathon Banks pulled out with an ankle injury late last week. Flores, who lives in Phoenix, is ranked No. 5.

"I told them just give me three weeks and I'll be happy to come over and beat Maccarinelli," said Flores, who last fought in February when he beat Darnell Wilson. "In this country, promoters give boxers at least a few weeks' notice before a world title fight. Obviously, over there they do things differently."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@ reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.