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Top Rank Promoter, Bob Arum, said that he is "very close to closing the deal" for a June 12 bout between WBA junior middleweight (154 pounds) champion, Yuri Foreman, of New York, and Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto, to be contested at Madison Square Garden.
"As soon as I talk to Madison [on Thursday,] it will be a definite, and we're definitely going to do it," said Arum, who informed FanHouse about a potential Foreman-Cotto matchup on Jan. 13.
"On the undercard it's going to be Kendall Holt (pictured at right), probably against Lamont Peterson," Arum said. "I promote both fighters, so it should be easy to get done, and it will be a great card."
Arum is in midst of a busy week in New York, where he is promoting Saturday night's HBO-televised double-header featuring the featherweight (126-pound) title defenses of WBA champ Yuriorkis Gamboa (16-0, 14 knockouts) and southpaw WBO king Steven Luevano (37-1-1, 15 KOs), respectively, against Rogers Mtagwa (26-13-2, 18 KOs) and Juan Manuel Lopez (27-0, 24 KOs).
The two championship fights are taking place at MSG's WaMu Theater.
MSG was also the site of Wednesday's press conference for the March 13 WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title defense of seven-division champion, Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) against Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs) to be held at Dallas Cowboys' Stadium.
Arum told FanHouse last week that he invited Foreman (28-0, eight KOs), who is the first Israeli to win a professional boxing title, and Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs), of Puerto Rico, to New York to begin negotiations for their fight, which would be held the day before the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade.
A big draw at MSG, Cotto has fought on Puerto Rican Day weekend often. Cotto is 6-0, with three knockouts, at MSG, including decisions over Clottey, WBC super world welterweight champ, Shane Mosley, and junior welterweight (140 pounds) star, Paulie Malignaggi.
While Cotto was knocked out by Pacquiao in the 12th round on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas, Foreman was victorious on their undercard, dethroning hard-hitting, southpaw, Daniel Santos (32-4-1, 23 KOs), of Puerto Rico, whom he floored twice on the way to a unanimous decision.
Arum also said that he is working on a matchup between WBC junior middleweight champion, Sergio Martinez (34-2-2, 24 KOs) and WBC and WBO middleweight (160 pounds) titlist, Kelly Pavlik (36-1, 32 KOs).
"I spoke to HBO today about [Pavlik-Martinez]," said Arum, who expected to meet with Martinez's promoter, Lou DiBella, on Thursday morning.
The clash between the 25-year-old Peterson (27-1, 13 KOs), of Washington, D.C., and the 28-year-old Holt (25-3, 13 KOs) would match two fighters who are coming off of losses to WBO junior welterweight champion, Tim Bradley (25-0, 11 KOs).
Peterson said he is grateful for second chance, particularly in a division as deep as the junior welterweight class.
"I just came from the gym not too long ago, and Barry [Hunter, his trainer] asked me if I was sitting down. And I said, 'Yes.' And then, Barry asked, 'Do you want to fight Kendall Holt?' And I was like, 'Absolutely, yeah.' And he told me when," said Peterson, who lost a unanimous decision to Bradley on Dec. 12.
"I'm just very excited right now, because I understand that I took a few steps back in my last fight. I get a chance to take few steps forward with this opportunity to fight Kendall Holt. This is critcal, right here, and very, very important that no one's forgotten me," said Peterson, who turns turns 26 on Sunday.
"This is like an early birthday gift, because this is a deep division, so it could be easy to get lost in it," said Peterson. "I wanted to win my last fight, and I wanted to put on a good performance. I think the boxing fans liked what I did, and now, I've got another opportunity."
Peterson's mistake, said Hunter, was not listening to his corner, which led to an early third-round knockdown that put the East Coast fighter in the position of having to make up ground.
"I give Timmy all of the props in the world. I love him to death. Great kid, good young man. And I have to give his corner a lot of props for making an adjustment. Tim had enough focus and patience to follow the instructions of his corner," said Hunter.
"On our end, the scheme was to win the first six or seven rounds, put Timmy behind the eight-ball and make him take chances down the stretch," said Hunter. "But once Lamont got hit and went down, he got back up and went after Timmy, which made Timmy's corner make the adjustment."
Holt, of Paterson, N.J., was last in the ring in April against Bradley, against whom he lost his WBO title by 12-round, unanimous decision.
Holt has been stopped twice, in his career, by Thomas Davis in one round in June of 2004, and, in the 11th round, in September of 2007 by Ricardo Torres.
Holt won his rematch with Torres -- and the WBO crown -- by first-round knockout in July of 2008. Holt defended that title once, via split-decision over previously unbeaten Demetrius Hopkins of Philadelphia before losing to Bradley.
Holt has a Feb. 27 fight with South Africa's 30-year-old Kaiser Mabuza (22-6-3, 13 KOs) at Bally's Park Place in Atlantic City before facing Peterson.
"Kendall's ready for anything to happen. We've got the IBF eliminator that's coming up on Feb. 27, and I think that Kendall can stop him in like two or three rounds," said Holt's manager, Brandon Jacobs. "And then we'll be the No. 1 in the IBF and get the winner out of Juan Urango and Devon Alexander ."
Jacobs was referring to a March 6, unification bout in Connecticut between Colombian-born IBF titlist Urango (22-2-1, 17 KOs) and 22-year-old, southpaw WBC champion, Alexander (19-0, 12 KOs) of St. Louis, Mo.
"We don't mind fighting Lamont Peterson on the HBO card," said Jacobs. "Lamont comes forward, and I think Kendall's a great counter-puncher, and I think Kendall's faster and stronger.
"As soon as I talk to Madison [on Thursday,] it will be a definite, and we're definitely going to do it," said Arum, who informed FanHouse about a potential Foreman-Cotto matchup on Jan. 13.
"On the undercard it's going to be Kendall Holt (pictured at right), probably against Lamont Peterson," Arum said. "I promote both fighters, so it should be easy to get done, and it will be a great card."
Arum is in midst of a busy week in New York, where he is promoting Saturday night's HBO-televised double-header featuring the featherweight (126-pound) title defenses of WBA champ Yuriorkis Gamboa (16-0, 14 knockouts) and southpaw WBO king Steven Luevano (37-1-1, 15 KOs), respectively, against Rogers Mtagwa (26-13-2, 18 KOs) and Juan Manuel Lopez (27-0, 24 KOs).
The two championship fights are taking place at MSG's WaMu Theater.
MSG was also the site of Wednesday's press conference for the March 13 WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title defense of seven-division champion, Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) against Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs) to be held at Dallas Cowboys' Stadium.
Arum told FanHouse last week that he invited Foreman (28-0, eight KOs), who is the first Israeli to win a professional boxing title, and Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs), of Puerto Rico, to New York to begin negotiations for their fight, which would be held the day before the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade.
A big draw at MSG, Cotto has fought on Puerto Rican Day weekend often. Cotto is 6-0, with three knockouts, at MSG, including decisions over Clottey, WBC super world welterweight champ, Shane Mosley, and junior welterweight (140 pounds) star, Paulie Malignaggi.
While Cotto was knocked out by Pacquiao in the 12th round on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas, Foreman was victorious on their undercard, dethroning hard-hitting, southpaw, Daniel Santos (32-4-1, 23 KOs), of Puerto Rico, whom he floored twice on the way to a unanimous decision.
Arum also said that he is working on a matchup between WBC junior middleweight champion, Sergio Martinez (34-2-2, 24 KOs) and WBC and WBO middleweight (160 pounds) titlist, Kelly Pavlik (36-1, 32 KOs).
"I spoke to HBO today about [Pavlik-Martinez]," said Arum, who expected to meet with Martinez's promoter, Lou DiBella, on Thursday morning.
The clash between the 25-year-old Peterson (27-1, 13 KOs), of Washington, D.C., and the 28-year-old Holt (25-3, 13 KOs) would match two fighters who are coming off of losses to WBO junior welterweight champion, Tim Bradley (25-0, 11 KOs).
Peterson said he is grateful for second chance, particularly in a division as deep as the junior welterweight class.
"I just came from the gym not too long ago, and Barry [Hunter, his trainer] asked me if I was sitting down. And I said, 'Yes.' And then, Barry asked, 'Do you want to fight Kendall Holt?' And I was like, 'Absolutely, yeah.' And he told me when," said Peterson, who lost a unanimous decision to Bradley on Dec. 12.
"I'm just very excited right now, because I understand that I took a few steps back in my last fight. I get a chance to take few steps forward with this opportunity to fight Kendall Holt. This is critcal, right here, and very, very important that no one's forgotten me," said Peterson, who turns turns 26 on Sunday.
"This is like an early birthday gift, because this is a deep division, so it could be easy to get lost in it," said Peterson. "I wanted to win my last fight, and I wanted to put on a good performance. I think the boxing fans liked what I did, and now, I've got another opportunity."
Peterson's mistake, said Hunter, was not listening to his corner, which led to an early third-round knockdown that put the East Coast fighter in the position of having to make up ground.
"I give Timmy all of the props in the world. I love him to death. Great kid, good young man. And I have to give his corner a lot of props for making an adjustment. Tim had enough focus and patience to follow the instructions of his corner," said Hunter.
"On our end, the scheme was to win the first six or seven rounds, put Timmy behind the eight-ball and make him take chances down the stretch," said Hunter. "But once Lamont got hit and went down, he got back up and went after Timmy, which made Timmy's corner make the adjustment."
Holt, of Paterson, N.J., was last in the ring in April against Bradley, against whom he lost his WBO title by 12-round, unanimous decision.
Holt has been stopped twice, in his career, by Thomas Davis in one round in June of 2004, and, in the 11th round, in September of 2007 by Ricardo Torres.
Holt won his rematch with Torres -- and the WBO crown -- by first-round knockout in July of 2008. Holt defended that title once, via split-decision over previously unbeaten Demetrius Hopkins of Philadelphia before losing to Bradley.
Holt has a Feb. 27 fight with South Africa's 30-year-old Kaiser Mabuza (22-6-3, 13 KOs) at Bally's Park Place in Atlantic City before facing Peterson.
"Kendall's ready for anything to happen. We've got the IBF eliminator that's coming up on Feb. 27, and I think that Kendall can stop him in like two or three rounds," said Holt's manager, Brandon Jacobs. "And then we'll be the No. 1 in the IBF and get the winner out of Juan Urango and Devon Alexander ."
Jacobs was referring to a March 6, unification bout in Connecticut between Colombian-born IBF titlist Urango (22-2-1, 17 KOs) and 22-year-old, southpaw WBC champion, Alexander (19-0, 12 KOs) of St. Louis, Mo.
"We don't mind fighting Lamont Peterson on the HBO card," said Jacobs. "Lamont comes forward, and I think Kendall's a great counter-puncher, and I think Kendall's faster and stronger.
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