TSETSI Davis and Richard Holmes will meet in the second semi-final in the 2015 Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum Contender Boxing Series at the Chinese Benevolent Association tonight.

The winner will earn the right to face Kemahl ‘Hit Man’ Russell in the final at the National Indoor Sports Arena on July 11.

What looked like a tailor-made victory for Russell in the first semi-final could well turn out to be a different ball game in the Holmes/Davis fight, as neither has expressed the desire to yield, even in the face of adversity.

Even before the Russell/Moncriffe fight, these warriors were swearing at each other, and the additional training time allowed due to an upper body injury to Davis has further heightened the preparation dynamics.

There is no gainsaying the fact that Holmes has shown marked improvement in his performances in the Wray & Nephew Contender Boxing Series over the last four presentations.

A reasonably good showing in his first taste of the professional process at the Contender and an iffy second attempt did not discourage Holmes. His third attempt last season was a marked improvement on his previous two encounters, as he came on strong with a semi-final clash with the eventual winner Sakima Mullings.

Since then he has redoubled his training efforts through the inspirational and dynamic preparation approach by his Grade 3 IEEBA coach, Carl Grant. And in Holmes’ own words: “Here I am, once again in the semi-final. The rest is left to me now to execute, God’s willing.”

Davis, one of the pre-tournament favourites to win the Contender title on his third attempt, was defeated by Sakima Mullings in the final of the 2014 edition and Moncriffe the previous year, and has advanced to the semi-final stage for the third consecutive year. And with this he is now hell-bent on getting to his third consecutive final.

“I’m ready, I’m ready. Ready to face Holmes in the semi-final round…and get rid of this match for me to get to the final,” he said in a no-nonsense manner.