Wndy Toussaint (now 14-2, 6 KOs) believes he was robbed of a win in Detroit on Saturday. Toussaint squared up with undefeated junior middleweight Ardreal Holmes, Jr. (14-0, 5 KOs) at Little Caesars Arena. The Holmes-Toussaint bout was the chief support of the DAZN -broadcast Claressa Shields vs. Maricela Cornejo undisputed middleweight bout. In the fourth round of Holmes-Toussaint, as Toussaint was working Holmes against the ropes, Holmes ducked to avoid a hook while Toussaint responded with a chopping right hand. Referee Gerard White questionably stopped the action and deducted a point from Toussaint for hitting to the back of the head, which would later turn out to be pivotal in the decision. 

 

Things turned up a notch in the fifth round as Toussaint came out with vengeance, pressuring Holmes, who spent much of the fight against the ropes. In the sixth and seventh rounds, Holmes continued to backpedal, pawing with his lead left hand, as Toussaint applied the pressure, putting punches together to both the body and the head. By the eight round, Toussaint was controlling the action. In the eight round, Holmes, came out and met Toussaint at center of the ring when a clash of heads opened a bad gash across Toussaint’s forehead causing a waterfall of blood that splattered the canvas red. 

 

The ringside doctor allowed Toussaint to continue but the referee was clearly concerned about the cut. The bout was allowed to briefly resume as Toussaint and Holmes unleashed a barrage of punches as blood sprayed. White stepped in seconds later and stopped the fight due to the cut caused by the accidental head butt. 

 

With the stoppage happening after four full rounds, and the head butt being ruled accidental, the fight went to the scorecards. The judges ruled in favor of Holmes by split technical decision (76-75 Holmes, 77-74 Holmes and 77-74 Toussaint), with the pivotal fourth-round point deduction changing the fight from a draw to a split decision win for Holmes. After the scores were read, the entirety of Little Caesars Arena began to loudly boo the victory being awarded to their own hometown favorite.

 

Star Boxing CEO Joe DeGuardia (Toussaint's promoter) plans to ask the IBF to order a rematch, because the bout was sanctioned for an IBF regional title. “We hope the USBA will order an immediate rematch and we will take the necessary steps to see that through. Wendy deserved the win last night in Detroit. It’s simple as that," said DeGuardia. It is rare to see hometown arena boo a decision against a hometown fighter - that’s all you need to know about the decision, and kudos to the Detroit fans. We are proud of the effort Wendy put forth. He made the fight, brought the action, controlled the tempo and exhibited a warrior mentality, begging the ref to continue the fight through a nasty cut, with his own blood pouring down his face. We feel Wendy should have been declared the winner and will look into all options available to us for him.”