Holmes’ visa KO
CARL GRANT, coach of one of Jamaica’s most talented professional boxers, Richard ‘Frog’ Holmes, said his young charge has been forced to cancel a number of fights in the United States after being denied a visa.
Grant said Holmes had secured fights in New York and Connecticut, but could not take up the offers because after he was denied a US visa by the embassy in Kingston.
“Not getting the visa was a big hamper for Richard Holmes’ career because we got couple of fights in the United States, but because we did not get the visa, he had to stay in Jamaica,” said Grant. “He now has to go back to this year’s Wray and Nephew Contender, but if he had the visa, he would have been fighting in the States.”
Grant added that this has affected Holmes’ ability to increase his profile as an international boxer.
“This is a big loss of income for him because these fights can run up to between US$10,000 and US$15,000 per fight, and we are talking like every three weeks to a month, so it is a big income loss for him,” Grant said.
VERY DISAPPOINTED
“He is very disappointed because the only thing he has to do now is to wait until the Contender comes around to keep himself active until he gets a US visa before he can moves on to greener pastures,” he added.
Holmes, whose professional record stands at 13 wins, six losses and one draw, was beaten by American DeMarcus ‘Chop Chop’ Corley in last year’s final of the Wray and Nephew Contender series.
However, Grant noted that Holmes is in great shape, and so he expects him to win this year’s competition.
“The Contender is like a job for him, and so he has to go out there this time around and win it because he has been to the final twice before, and so I think this year shall be Richard ‘Frog’ Holmes’ year,” Granted declared.