Team Jamaica’s number one seed Richard “Frog” Holmes will face Canada’s Larone “Jet” Whyte in a quarter-final showdown of the Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum Contender boxing series at the Chinese Benevolent Association auditorium tonight for a spot in the semi-final and a shot at the welterweight title.

Whyte was pitted against Holmes following the withdrawal of Team Canada’s Tariq Ismail, who had earlier booked his quarter-final spot after outpointing Fabian “Truck” Tucker at the preliminary stage of the 15-round tournament.

At press time, no official reason for the withdrawal was forthcoming.

Still fans are in for a tastier treat with an improved “Frog” Holmes taking on the tougher opposition “Jet” Whyte. Ardent boxing fans will remember Whyte outpointing this year’s number two seed, the evergreen and pugnacious Devon Moncriffe, in the preliminary round of last year’s competition.

However, Moncriffe returned to this year’s Contender series a different proposition and earlier booked his spot in this year’s semi-final by overturning the high-riding, tough-talking Waseem El Senawi with a KO result in the fourth round on last fight night.

Whyte, who has five fights with three wins and two defeats, is coming into this bout from a split decision lost to Ioannis Birmpilis on April 20, in downtown Toronto. Looking as healthy as he possibly could at the weigh-in, he will naturally want to try to reverse that decision.

At the weigh in, Frog Holmes registered 147lbs to Jet Whyte’s 146.

Asked about his plans going to the fight against a better boxer than the one who withdrew, Holmes said: “Different opposition, same treatment. You trained to fight. And as you go along and you encounter different approaches, you have to deal with it… that must be built into the framework of your preparation.”

“For the change of fighter, there is no loss of plan. There is just a change of plan. This boxer is a much better boxer and more technical than the one before, so I will have to adjust and that is the adjustment I am prepared to make,” Holmes added.

Whyte, meanwhile, is confident going into the contest.

“Very confident in my skills, in my preparation and in my training camp. So I am just here ready. I have been training, preparing in the gym and just waiting for the call,” Whyte explained.