Ardreal Holmes Jr. and Hugo Noriega Make Weight Forward of their Sept. 12 DAZN predominant occasion from Dort Monetary Heart in Flint, Michigan. (Photograph Credit score: Richard Olrich/Salita Promotions)
Ardreal Holmes, Jr. has capitalized on the chance of headlining a combat card.
He hopes to proceed that streak and make a press release to the remainder of the 154-pound division.
Holmes will face Hugo Noriega on the Dort Federal Occasion Heart in his hometown of Flint, Michigan. At Wednesday’s weigh-in, Holmes weighed in at 153.4 kilos. Noriega got here in at 153.2 kilos. The ten-round bout will headline a four-bout Salita Promotions card Thursday on DAZN (8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT).
Promoter Dmitriy Salita believes Holmes has the bodily instruments to change into a legit junior middleweight contender. Salita is assured Holmes will make a press release on the expense of Noriega.
“Ardreal is an American-born junior middleweight contender on the cusp of breaking into the elite degree of the division,” Salita advised The Ring. “The junior middleweight division is among the hottest and best in boxing. A powerful win in opposition to a robust opponent will transfer him one step nearer to the highest.”
In his final bout on February 20, Holmes (15-0, 6 knockouts) additionally headlined a Salita Promotions card, which befell at Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit, stopping once-beaten Marlon Harrington within the second spherical.
Previous to preventing on DAZN, together with a technical choice win over Wendy Toussaint on June 3 of final 12 months, the 30-year-old Holmes headlined a handful of ShoBox telecasts. In March 2022, Holmes defeated once-beaten Vernon Brown by unanimous choice. Virtually a 12 months later, in a conflict of unbeaten prospects, Holmes defeated Ismael Villarreal by break up choice.
Tonight’s combat shall be Holmes’ second of 2024. He has not fought twice or extra in a calendar years since 2019, when he fought 3 times.
Noriega (10-2, 5 KOs), who’s initially from Cuba and now resides in Miami, Florida, defeated journeyman Saul Corral by unanimous choice in his final bout on March 23. The win over Corral befell over 4 months after shedding to once-beaten Abass Baraou.
Noriega can even combat for the second time this 12 months after a six-fight marketing campaign in 2023.
Within the co-feature, middleweight Joseph Hicks (10-0, 7 KOs) of Grand Rapids, Michigan will sq. off in opposition to Detroit’s Ronnie Austion in an eight-round bout.
Each 30-year-old fighters weighed in at 155.8 kilos.
Hicks additionally fought on the February 20 Salita Promotions card, knocking out gatekeeper Ricardo Villalba within the fourth spherical. The 30-year-old is managed by David McWater.
Austion (10-2, 7 KOs) has not fought since July 2019, when he misplaced by majority choice to Denis Okoth. Lower than six months previous to the loss to Okoth, Austion suffered the primary lack of his professional profession by the hands of Marquis Hawthorne.
Additionally on the cardboard, middleweight prospect Da’Velle Smith (8-0, 6 KOs) of Taylor, Michigan will face Mexico Metropolis’s Esau Herrera de la Cruz (21-17-1, 8 KOs) in a six-round bout.
Smith weighed in at 164.8 kilos. Herrera de la Cruz got here in at 165.8 kilos.
Salita is proud that the fighters he’s selling can showcase their expertise on DAZN. He additionally believes his steady of fighters is at or close to the highest of boxing.
“Individually in as we speak’s boxing atmosphere, we’re striving,” said Salita. “I imagine we’re the premier expertise growth platform in america, showcasing prime expertise in aggressive fights.”
Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has coated boxing in Southern California and overseas since 2000. Francisco additionally covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He may be reached at [email protected]
