Richard Holmes - Colin Hamilton

Richard Holmes, of the Bruising Gym, is very confident of winning this year's Wray & Nephew Contender Series Welterweight title after an impressive showing on Wednesday night.

Holmes put on a clinical display to record a first-round technical knockout victory over veteran boxer Courtney Semister in the feature bout at the Chinese Benevolent Centre in Kingston.

"I am very confident that I can win the Contender because I have more fights left and I am sure that I am going to win all three of them," said Holmes.

"I am a warrior and I can box. I just went into the ring and proved it to the whole Jamaica."

Semister started the fight more aggressively as he quickly showed some of his old sparkle by landing some good jabs and hooks to the head and body of Holmes.

However, Holmes was not perturbed as the 24-year-old took his time to settle before finding his range. He landed some hard blows to the body and head of his opponent. After about a minute of the fight had elapsed, he caught Semister with a hard right to the head that seemed to be in the foul zone. Semister hit the canvas, but did not seem to be badly hurt and after the mandatory eight count resumed action.

superior to opponent

Both men threw caution to the wind at this stage and a slugfest ensued. The taller, bigger and stronger Holmes was superior to his opponent in close-range action, and in a short time Semister was on the canvas again. His corner seemed anxious for the bell to come to his rescue and breathed a sigh of relief when it did.

They worked on Semister during the break but to no avail and when the bell sounded for the second round to start, his corner decided not to continue the fight.

"I know I was going to beat him," said Holmes with a smile on his face.

Semister was gracious in defeat.

"I am not really disappointed because it has been six years since I fought in the ring and I am a normal lightweight boxer. I stepped up two weight classes to this fight," said Semister. "He was also six pounds heavier than me and that also played a big part in my defeat."

There was also a lot of excitement in the two amateur bouts that preceded the main bout. In the first bout, Nico Yeyo from Stanley Couch Gym stopped Iroyno Cleary in the first round and Andrew Rowe got the better of Toriano Nicholas, on points, in the second contest.