An Incredible Family Affair For Holt's

By Peter Mann


During the late eighties and early nineties a Birmingham featherweight by the name of Mark Holt, 7-8(3) was making waves as an Area champion.


Come the summer of 2015 his eldest son, Paul ‘Incredible’ Holt 3-1, will be looking to follow in those esteemed footsteps and claim the same title for himself when he takes on Dudley’s Ryan Corrigan; but first he must contend with Ben Mulligan at Bedworth in late March.

Mark, a southpaw himself, claimed the title for the first time with a TKO7 against Colin Lynch at Solihull’s Conference Centre in May 1989, successfully defending it five months later against Derek Amory at the same venue, this time winning every round in a PTS10 victory.


Then, a year after he defeated Amory, father Holt would claim the title again, this time via a fourth round stoppage against Rocky Lawlor, the fight being stopped courtesy of a cut to Lawlor who was also given two counts before the referee finally called a ‘holt’ to proceedings.


For Paul however, eradicating the pain of defeat in his last outing against Simas Volosinas, where he was stopped in the third round. Aware of what went wrong Paul, who recently watched his younger brother Samuel Holt rack up another amateur success as the generation game continues in the Holt household said: “I’ve learnt a lot from this (the loss to Volosinas).


“I feel faster, more aware and comfortable in myself and that’s to my coaches. The loss was one of those things and I had a lot going on personally which didn’t help, not that I’m using them as excuses.


“I know I was on top during the bout and I never had a scratch on me, I just switched off for a split second and the next I know the referee is counting me out – there’s just no excuses though, it was lucky for him that he landed that shot.”


Fight fans were taken aback by the loss to Volosinas, but Holt has learnt from his mistakes and knows what is needed to progress. Holt’s Coach, Mark Wall added: “If he’d (Holt) boxed him another twenty times he wouldn’t have got caught like that.


“Holty was winning every second of every minute; he’s never been down or rocked in over 50 amateur fights; he’s been in and sparred big punchers like Michael Mooney and Troy James and not once been in trouble.


“This is probably a blessing in disguise and that it’s happened early in his career as it will make him more of a complete fighter. He knows now that this can happen and has took the complacency away, he’s more aware defence-wise, sharp, and started looking for openings behind the jab more instead of being gung-ho.”


Fellow coach, Paul Fellows, who has been with the Prospects Boxing Academy a few months after it opened, is enjoying seeing the youthful talent coming through those Birmingham doors. For a twenty-year veteran he sure knows a thing or two and that expertise is being passed down to the next generation.


“Things can change in the blink of an eye and it showed then (when Holt lost to Volosinas) because he’d never been hurt or put down in any of his amateur outings or as an early professional,” the trainer said of the reverberating shock.


“A fighter can learn a lesson and have good comeback character, just look at what happened to Amir Khan. Holt has those lines of character and what is inside him to learn from that setback – he has that fighting spirit and that’s something we won’t change.”


It is the belief in Holt by Wall, Fellows, and all who both know and support him that will get him back on the winning trail against Mulligan, and then follow in father’s footsteps by claiming the Midlands featherweight area strap this coming summer.


Find my work via @petermannwriter on Twitter, Peter Mann – Freelance Writer (https://www.facebook.com/PGMFreelanceWriter) on Facebook, or www.pmannsportswriter.wordpress.com

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