Ardreal Holmes remains in contention to face Erickson Lubin next in what would be the most important fight of Holmes’ career.
The left-handed junior middleweight contender from Flint, Michigan unanimously out-pointed previously unbeaten Edwine Jimenez in their 10-rounder Thursday night at Dort Financial Center in Flint. Defeating Jimenez in their main event moved Holmes toward an IBF 154-pound elimination match with Lubin that would determine the mandatory challenger for its junior middleweight champion, Bakhram Murtazaliev.
Holmes, 17-0 (6 KOs), beat the Haitian-born, Massachusetts-based Jimenez, 9-1 (7 KOs), by the same score, 97-93, on the scorecards of judges Patrick Schmidt, Gerard White and Cornelius Stevenson.
A deal hasn’t been finalized between promoters Dmitriy Salita (Holmes) and Tom Brown (Lubin), but both boxers want to move forward with a 12-round bout that would earn the winner a title shot. Lubin is ranked third among the IBF’s junior middleweight contenders, four spots atop the seventh-rated Holmes, who is its leading available contender to box Lubin for the unoccupied top position in the IBF’s ratings.
“It was a kinda difficult,” Holmes told DAZN’s Al Bernstein of facing Jimenez. “They kept switching opponents. Nobody wanted to fight. You know, it was just kinda awkward. Then, I was preparing to fight like a shorter guy. The dude was almost 6 foot. So, it was just a little awkward. But, you know, every test get us to the next level, so we ready for what’s next. … I just feel like every time we gettin’ in here we gettin’ better. So, when we get Lubin, we gonna get better, that much better. So, just be prepared to be surprised. You know, fittin’ to shock the world.”
Lubin, 29, is much more proven and experienced than Jimenez, but Jimenez made Holmes work during what was an unremarkable but competitive main event DAZN streamed worldwide.
Some of the best action in their fight occurred in its final minute.
The taller, longer Holmes drilled Jimenez with a right hook and quickly followed up with a left hand with 45 seconds remaining in the bout. Jimenez took those shots well, though Holmes caught him with another right hook several seconds before the final bell sounded.
An aggressive Jimenez never hurt Holmes, either, yet he gained valuable experience against an opponent who might fight for a world title in 2025.
