IT was a popular decision. And one that put Richard ‘Frog’ Holmes in the driver’s seat to fight Kemahl ‘Hitman’ Russell in the final of the 2015 Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum Contender Boxing Series for the crown of Jamaica’s Ultimate Middleweight Contender.

The victor will walk away with $2 million at the National Indoor Sports Arena on July 11, going 10 rounds.

At the Chinese Benevolent Association, Holmes earned the right to face Russell in the final after batttling pre-fight favourite Tsetsi Davis to an honourable draw in the second semi-final of the Contender Series with Peter Richards scoring the bout 77-75 in favour of Holmes, judge Clifford Brown 79-73, while judge Eion Jardine saw it 76-76.

However, a basic rule in the Contender Boxing Series, is a winner has to be declared and with this option in place all three judges voted 3-0 in favour of Holmes.

The decision was accepted by the crowd. Even some of who came to support Davis, felt he did not do enough to sway the judges when it came down to a vote.

The view was expressed that he failed repeatedly to use an effective left jab: an essential boxing tool at any level of the sport.

The decision must have been also heart-rending for Davis as he did not show for his customary after-match interview with the press.

Wednesday night’s fight is one that Holmes and his trainer Carl Grant can be justifiably proud of. Holmes was asked whether or not he thought he deserved the victory and he responded: “Yes.”

“My job was to fight. That I did and I was declared the winner. This makes me very happy and leaves me with a feeling of encouragement.”

Trainer Grant was thought his fighter did well for the most part.

“It was a good fight. My job is to prepare the boxer. The job of judges is to rule on whom they adjudge winners. I saw it as a fair decision. There are some things in Holmes’ armoury that he neglected to utilise in the fight, but we have some time to work at them to get him where he should be for the final,” he said.

— Hurbun Williams