Undefeated WBC champion Timothy Bradley Jr. will face WBO titleholder Kendall Holt in a light welterweight unification bout at the Bell Centre on April 4.
The fight between the two Americans will be the most significant boxing match held in the predominantly French-speaking city since Roberto Duran defeated Sugar Ray Leonard on June 20, 1980, to claim the welterweight title in the “Brawl in Montreal” at Olympic Stadium.
Bradley wore a Montreal Canadiens jersey with his name on the back when he was introduced at a press conference at the downtown arena on Wednesday. Holt also had a personalised jersey from the city’s famed NHL team slung over his shoulder.
Bradley (23-0, 11 KOs) has already defended his title once since claiming the WBC belt with a surprising win over Junior Witter in Nottingham, England, last May 10.
“I really don’t know too much about Montreal,” Bradley said. “I’m just starting to get into hockey. I actually went out and bought the NHL ‘09 (video) game. I just know that the food here is great, the people are very multicultural, friendly and humble, and I like that spirit they have. They’re very passionate about what they do and they’re very passionate about their athletes.”
Whereas the first Duran-Leonard fight was staged in Montreal because it was the site of Leonard’s gold medal victory in the 1976 Olympics, there was no obvious local tie-in for holding the bout at the Bell Centre.
“Yeah, it’s a big surprise, but one of my favorite fighters ever, Sugar Ray Leonard, fought here, so I’m happy to be fighting here,” said Holt (25-2, 13 KOs), who retained his WBO belt with a split decision over Demetrius Hopkins in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Dec. 13.
Holt was originally scheduled to fight a rematch against Colombian Ricardo Torres in that bout.
Holt instead faced Hopkins — the nephew of former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins — when Torres decided he was too sick to make the 140-pound (63.5-kilogram) weight limit.
Even though Bradley remains undefeated, Holt said during a lively press conference that the WBC champ was “a little bit inexperienced for a champion.”
“I’m coming forward. I’m coming to get him and he knows it,” Bradley said. “He says he has more experience than I do — I honestly doubt that. I had over 140 amateur fights. I’ve been in the ring with some of the best fighters from around the world. He’s never seen that. He’s never faced that, ever.”