The rematch is underway.
May 30
Boxing: Holly Holm vs. Stephanie Han for Han’s WBA lightweight title, El Paso County Coliseum. Departure time and fare to be determined
World Boxing Association lightweight champion Stephanie Han will defend her title against Albuquerque’s Holly Holm on May 30 in Han’s hometown of El Paso, Most Valuable Promotions announced Friday.
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The fight will be televised on ESPN, which has a multi-year deal with MPV to return to the ring.
On January 3, Han defeated Holm in San Juan, Puerto Rico and successfully defended his title.
The fight was stopped in the seventh of a scheduled 10 rounds when an inadvertent head collision left Han with a cut above his right eye. Han held a comfortable lead on all three official scorecards and was declared the winner via technical decision.
All parties – Korea, Holm, promoters – agreed a rematch would be appropriate. The news was announced at a press conference at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Friday.
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The press conference was held in New York because the main purpose of MVP was to announce a multi-year deal with ESPN.
MVP also announced that unified champion Alycia Baumgardner and challenger Bo Mi Re Shin will fight for the world featherweight title on April 17 at MSG’s IInfosys Theater.
Friday’s MVP press conference did not confirm a location for the rematch between Han (12-0, 3 KOs) and Holm (34-3-3, 9 KOs). But Han’s coach, Las Cruces’ Louis Burke, told the Journal in a phone interview that he was told the card would be played at the El Paso County Coliseum.
Burke said he was confident his fighter would win again – citing boxing’s traditional adage that “style makes the fight.”
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“I just thought (Han) had Holly’s phone number,” Burke said. “…I think her style gives Holly a hard time. She moves in and out well. She calculates distance well. I just think she has the ability to beat Holly.
“I don’t discount that (Holm’s camp) is going to make some adjustments. I just feel like Holly’s style is tailor-made for Stephanie.”
Holm’s agent and longtime Albuquerque promoter Lenny Fresquez of Albuquerque said fans didn’t see the best of Holm in his first fight with Han.
Fresquez said Holm had a lot of motivation to reverse the outcome this time.
“I don’t think she was herself (in Puerto Rico),” he said. “…Holly knows what’s at stake here. When she wins, something really, really big could happen to her.”
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Holm is no stranger to rematches, having fought 11 times as a boxer and once as an MMA fighter. She had a record of 9 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses in these matches, once avenging French boxer Anne-Sophie Mathis.
Han has yet to fight in a rematch as a professional boxer.
Both fighters attended a news conference in New York on Friday.
“The last game ended early because of the suspension,” Han said. “I got the win, but I didn’t finish the game.
“This time in my city there will be no excuses, no ‘what ifs’, no question who is the better fighter.”
Holm offered no excuses for her loss in San Juan but echoed Fresquez’s confidence that May 30 in El Paso will produce a different result.
“She’s a disciplined, strong champion and I respect that,” Holm said of Han. “I’m going to put in the work and I’m going to be ready.”