Moments ago at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, undefeated Cruiserweight Ismayl Sillakh kept his perfect record in tact by stopping Julius Jackson in the first round. Working Jackson’s corner was Welterweight contender Rashad Holloway and despite his friend’s losing effort, the Cincinnati native was still upbeat.
Holloway is coming off of a November draw with Francisco ‘Gato’ Figueroa and is looking to regroup in the coming New Year. While he was hoping to fight later this month, Holloway is instead eyeing a televised showcase in February.
“I’ve just been sticking to the gym and focusing on coming out of 2010 with a bang,” Holloway stated. “I was supposed to fight January 23rd but an opponent pulled out on me. Now it looks like I am going to be fighting February 19th on ESPN in Cleveland, Ohio.”
Holloway always broke news that he will be heading back to the Wild Card Boxing Club at the start of the week to gear up for the contest. While the draw with Figueroa left a bad taste in his mouth, the 28 year old is keeping a positive and realistic outlook.
“I’ll actually be back on there on Monday,” Holloway says of returning to Los Angeles. “I’ve been in Las Vegas for a few months following my fight with Figueroa. I’ve just been focusing on staying in shape and making some changes.”
When he arrives at the Wild Card, Holloway will be looking to engage in some heated sparring sessions with good friend and undefeated Jr. Middleweight contender Shawn Porter.
“Me and Shawn Porter are actually going to be sparring the next four weeks. I love Shawn, he’s like a little brother to me. I remember him coming up in the amateurs and we always push each other. We go back and forth all the time. Sometimes I school him but he’ll come back at me like a young gun and surprise me the next moment. But it’s always fun.”
In closing Holloway was asked his opinion of the March 13th Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey showdown. Holloway has gotten to know Pacquiao very well over the years due to their time in the ring together and feels that his old sparring mate will find a way to figure out Clottey’s rugged style.
“You know what, Manny is a hard guy to ever go against. I still think it’s a difficult fight. Joshua Clottey is a very tough guy to fight. Given their styles it could be tough because Clottey is an inside fighter and he’s very strong. But Manny is a great fighter and I honestly think he’s going to outbox him and outpoint him.”
