Ardrial Holmes Jr. became the most important name in Australian boxing overnight.
Or close enough.
Not only is Holmes an undefeated 6-foot-2 southpaw and four-time Golden Glove winner, he has never suffered a loss in 15 fights since turning pro in 2016. Understand that there are players from Michigan who will never be there. He's become increasingly talked about thanks to his size, reach and other “God-given abilities,” including his long, stinging jab.
Boxing: Tszyu v Fundora + Zerafa v Lara Live from Las Vegas | Wednesday, March 31, 11am AEDT | Main Event Exclusive, Order on Kayo Sports. No Kayo subscription required.
That's why Team Tszyu treated him to a flight to Las Vegas before you woke up this Tuesday.
Even the most ardent Australian boxing fans may not know him, but Ardrial Holmes Jr., aka The Bossman, is undoubtedly a big name after being signed on as a last-minute sparring partner for WBO super welterweight champion Tim Tze. He is an important man.
In recent weeks, Tszyu has been sparring in preparation for American superstar Keith Thurman. Keith Thurman is a former world champion who is smaller than the Australian fight star and likes boxing and working out.
But then, as you may know, Thurman backed out.
His spot is taken by the incredible presence of Sebastian Fundora, aka the Towering Inferno.
An oversized fighting puzzle with a height of 197cm and a reach of 203cm.
And with just 12 days notice… So how do you prepare for that?
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Even before the news of Thurman's departure officially broke, Tszyu's manager, Glenn Jennings, was scouring the nation for an oversized southpaw who could emulate Inferno, long touted as the division's next big draw. That's why.
It didn't take long to land on Holmes Jr.
The language fighter was one of two Americans brought to the fighting capital of the world for several days of delayed sparring and preparation.
And what about the second man?
That honor belongs to 6-foot-3 Washington southpaw Mykal Fox.
The 28-year-old, nicknamed “The Professor,” was undefeated in his first 19 professional fights and now boasts a record of 22-4, with a few recent losses to quality opponents.
Holmes, on the other hand, is 15-zip.
The fighter, who comes from a boxing family and calls Flint home, picked up gloves at the age of 11 and won a gold medal at the 2015 U.S. Championships in addition to four Golden Glove titles.
The No. 1 amateur at 147 pounds is Ardrial Holmes III, now the father of a young son, but a longtime fan of Thomas “Hitman” Hearns and his manager, David McWhorter. It's also the curse of matchmaking.
“No one wants to fight a southpaw, especially one who is tall, tricky and smart,” McWhorter once said in an interview.
“That was always a problem.”
But by the same token, this is also what makes him a great fit for Tszyu.
When Holmes was once asked about his style, he replied:
“I'm just staying within the range I want to reach.
“If you want to be close, I’m close.
“If you feel uncomfortable for me to approach you, I will take you.
“But if I feel like it’s better to go out, I’ll go out.
“It really depends on the opponent.
“But once I get comfortable, I win.”
In recent years, Holmes has spent a lot of time sparring with former world champion Tony Harrison, who Tszyu took just nine rounds to defeat inside Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena in March last year. The time it took is famous.
Back in her amateur days at Burston Fieldhouse, the Michigan product also played many rounds with Clarissa Shields. Shields is now a famous women's boxing superstar, and her own career began in the same boxing and basketball gym.
Once asked about their unlikely partnership, Holmes said that given that he and Shields are always about the same weight and there are no local girls available to date the future world champion, Holmes often acts as a stand-in. He explained that he would be called upon to do so.
Holmes has steadily risen through the ranks of the super welterweight division, garnering heaps of praise over time from important people, including, ironically, American great Zab Judah.
Of course, back in 2001, Australian boxing great Kostya Tsi famously iced Judah within two rounds inside the MGM Grand for perhaps the biggest victory of his career.
Now, Tszyu's son is asking for help from the fighter who had a great fight at ringside that night, icing a man named Brian Goldsby within one round and scoring what was then his fifth career win with a straight left. .
“I like him,” Judah said of Holmes. “He's a good kid, so if he works hard, he'll get to the top in no time.”
Just last month, Holmes needed to finish Detroit native Marlon Harrington in two more rounds to snap a 15-fight winning streak.
“Not to sound cocky, but I was expecting to win like that,” the fighter said after the fight.
“But I'm not going to lie and say I was expecting it right away.
“This game got me back into championship mode and I have to stay that way.”
There's also a “Championship Mode” that could eventually take him all the way to Tszyu.
A fighter who responded to an SOS this week.
