Richard “Frog” Holmes is adamant his craving for the Wray & Nephew Contender boxing title will be over when he faces the electrifying youngster Ricardo “Magic Man” Salas, in what is anticipated to be a monumental showdown for the 2018 crown at National Indoor Sports Centre tomorrow.

“The way I’m hungry for this it’s like I’m not eating, like mi nuh eat for how many days,” said Holmes, about the Wray & Nephew Contender title.

“I’m so hungry. nobody is going to take my food out of my mouth because I’m going to war for my food. It’s just like when a hungry dog is there and him food throw down and you try to take it, him ago bite you up. I’m hungry for it.”

The ultimate clash in the Team Jamaica vs Team Canada series will be broadcast live on TVJ, starting at 9:30 pm. The winner shall claim the 2018 Wray and Nephew Contender welterweight championship belt, plus $2 million, with $500,000 going to the runner-up, $250,000 for third place and $200,000 for fourth.

Holmes, whose career was influenced by viewing fights on TV, is hoping that there will be much to celebrate by residents watching from Stony Hill, where his career started.

“Back then we used to watch Thursday Nights at the Fights … we usually watched Mike Tyson and Holyfield (Evander). We had to stay up. sometimes when we were to go to bed we would pretend like we were sleeping when we weren’t sleeping, because you couldn’t make mommy know.”

Holmes said he was spurred to “…tie up a bag on my verandah and punch it” and notes that he “was not a troublemaker kid who got into fights at school” — which at the time was Stony Hill Primary and Junior High, and later Tarrant High.

His early passion, though, was soon channelled when Carl Grant Jr, his current trainer, introduced street fights to Stony Hill in 2007.

“Street Fights usually happen on Tuesday nights in Stony Hill. It’s something that everybody wanted to be involved in; people from all over came — the crowd there was massive. The first time Sakima Mullings ever fight that’s where he and I fought, in the streets,” Holmes reminisced.

He admitted not accepting Grant’s initial offer to join Bruising Gym because he was doing construction work.

“Eventually I went to the gym and trained like about three to four months until they had the National Championship in November, and there’s where I made my debut,” he said.

Holmes ended up winning the title and went on a 12-and-0 streak. However, he took a fight while not in training and lost at fight 13.

“That taught me that as a boxer stay in the gym, stay in training, stay ready. That means if I was always on my toes I would not lose that fight,” he reasoned.

In 2012 he first fought in the Wray and Nephew Contender series and became a pro, noting its contribution to his overall development.

“I’ve gained a lot of experience over the years after turning professional in 2012, where I went up against Donovan ‘Police’ Campbell in the semi-finals. After that I went up against people like Sakima Mullings, Kemahl ‘Hit Man’ Russell, ‘Concrete’ Moncriffe (Devon) and ‘Chop Chop’ Corley. It has helped me a lot, moving forward and in this competition,” said Holmes, who in the early days was straight aggression but is now more measured.

“If I go out in the first round I try to score, but at the same time I try to analyse his punches — which punch he’s likely to throw the best and how can I get away from that and how can I counter that. So at all times I’m always looking for the opening and always looking for that loophole to take control, because whenever I get that loophole that’s when I always throw my strong punch,” he assessed.

“For the final it’s going to be a different fight, a much bigger improvement same way. I’m pacing myself, I’m controlling my breathing, I’m controlling the rounds, I know when to step up in the round. I know when to cool down.”

Continuing, Holmes stressed his readiness.

“I’m ready from like from yesterday is today. I’m ready, ready, ready, ready, ready like the final is tonight. Whenever it comes, I’m ready. I’m just waiting for it to happen, I can feel the victory, I can taste the victory; I’m ready,” stressed Holmes.

Part of that desperation for success includes a three-fight pro package in Canada which represents his gateway to the world, Holmes explained, pointing to his “friend” Kemahl “Hit Man” Russell, who has grown from Contender champion to owning an international title.

“One of the things that I’m sure, sure, sure say that you can expect from me in the final is that I’m going to lift the Wray & Nephew 2018 Contender championship belt on the 25th of July,” Holmes predicted. “You’re going to see a Holmes that’ll make you say you never knew that Holmes existed. a brand new Holmes, a sharper Holmes, a Holmes who is going to be hitting, moving, turning all angles, lifting all stones, turning all blocks. You’re going to see a Holmes who is hungry.”