American light welterweight sensation Danny Garcia faces big punching Kendall Holt for the vacant WBO Intercontinental light welterweight title on the undercard of the Bernard Hopkins vs Chad Dawson fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California tonight. 23-year-old Garcia (21-0, 14 KOs) is one of the hottest prospects in American boxing right now, and if Britain's IBF/WBA king Amir Khan kind chooses to hang around in the 140 pound class for a little longer, Khan v Garcia in 2012 would be big box office.

The baby faced Garcia has displayed devastating punching power in his brief professional career, and looks to be able to take an opponent out with either hand - hitting just as hard with the left hook as with the straight right. He displays excellent mobility and great hand speed, but is prone to defensive lapses, and can be a little wild when going on the attack - something which might play into Amir Khan's hands should the two ever meet.

In his last fight, Garcia showed that he is improving as a boxer, outpointing the vastly experienced and still dangerous 39-year-old veteran Nate Campbell. Garcia is currently ranked fifth by the WBC and ninth by the IBF at junior welterweight. His opponent tonight – Kendall Holt – is ranked second at 140 pounds by the WBC, third by the WBO, fifth by the IBF and ninth by the WBA. 

Garcia is one of Oscar De La Hoya's brightest prospects amongst his Golden Boy Promotions roster of fighters. Hailing from Philadelphia, a city that has provided boxing with such legendary names as Joe Frazier, Bennie Briscoe, Matthew Saad Muhammad and Bernard Hopkins to name just a few, Garcia boxed some 120, amateur bouts before turning pro four years ago. He was then moved quickly by Golden Boy, boxing regularly on under cards in California and Nevada. 

Garcia boxed eight times in 2008, five times in 2009, and four times last year – defeating solid fringe contenders like Oscar Leon, Enrique Colin and Jorge Romero, and former top contender Mike Arnaoutis. 

In February 2010, Garcia was given a stiff test by US-based Englishman Ashley Theophane, currently the British light welterweight champion. The cagey Theophane is vastly experienced both in the ring and in the gym and has learned every trick in the book from London to New York, so a hanging with him and sneaking the decision was a great result for Garcia.

In April of this year, Garcia scored the biggest win of his career thus far with a 10 round points decision over the former IBF/WBA/WBO lightweight champion Nate Campbell. Although the wily Campbell is slightly past his prime and went into the fight with Garcia on the back of two straight losses, he is still a ring technician of considerable stature, and tested the youngster for the entire 10 rounds. 

Campbell still believes he can get back to the top - and still hits hard - so Garcia had to box and move, and he did so admirably.

Garcia mixed his punches well to the head and body of the crafty, cagey veteran, and emerged with a one-sided points decision.

Great a scalp as that of Campbell undoubtedly is, it will not compare if Garcia can beat Holt at the Staples Center tonight.

30-year-old Kendall Holt (27-4, 15 KO's) possesses both the talent and the punching power to be one of the best fighters in the world today. Instead, he is a massive underachiever with a brief reign as WBO light welterweight champ to his credit, and has already lost four times, three by knockout.

Holt has excellent footwork, fast hands, good boxing skills and genuine one punch knockout power. At times, he reminds this writer of Terry Norris with his blend of ability and power. 

In his 10 year career, Holt has beaten top fighters like David Diaz, Isaac Hlatshwayo, Ricardo Torres, Ben Tackie and Demetrius Hopkins, and gave current pound-for-pound top tenner Timothy Bradley his toughest fight, flooring him twice. 

On the flip side, Holt was stopped in a round by journeyman Thomas Davis, TKO'd in 11 by the aforementioned Torres when ahead on points in a WBO title fight, and overpowered by the tough but raw Kaiser Mabuza. 

In July 2008, Holt gained revenge over Torres in spectacular fashion, surviving two knockdowns to knock Torres cold in the first round and win the WBO 140 lb belt. 

A successful defence against the previously unbeaten Demetrius Hopkins - nephew of Bernard - in December 2008 was followed by a unification bout four months later against WBC light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley. Holt began sensationally against the unbeaten Bradley, flooring "Desert Storm" with a tremendous left hook in the first round.

The fight was even up to the seventh, and then Bradley took control with his relentless pressure fighting. Going into the 12th round, Bradley was ahead on all three scorecards, but Holt managed to floor him a second time late in the round. It was too little too late however, and Bradley won a unanimous decision  and with it Holt's WBO crown.

 After 10 months out of the ring, Holt returned in February 2010 to fight South African hard man Kaiser Mabuza. In a display that shocked fight fans, Holt suddenly looked a shot fighter and was pummeled around the ring relentlessly by Mabuza before retiring after six one-sided rounds.

Holt reemerged once again earlier this year with a first-round KO over journeyman Lenin Arroyo. He followed that up four months later with a third-round TKO over former IBF lightweight champion Julio Diaz.

In reality, Holt's lofty ranking by the WBC and WBO is flattering. Based on his performance against Mabuza last year, Holt has very little left in the tank. Expect him to try for an early KO against Garcia tonight, but the further the bout goes, the more he will lose heart for the battle. Ironically, Holt physically is probably still capable of being a major threat at 140 pounds, but mentally he now looks burned out. 

The danger for Garcia is to leave himself open to Holt's deadly counters when going into the attack. However, Garcia showed an improved, tighter defense against Campbell, and he is bound to employ that same tactic against a puncher like Holt.

Look for Garcia to box aggressively from the outset behind a high guard and stamp his authority on the contest from the off. Unless Holt has had a brainwave and suddenly rediscovered his hunger for the game, I see Garcia having way too much for him, growing in confidence as the fight progresses, catching Holt time and again with fast, powerful shots, and winning this one inside five rounds. 

Garcia by TKO in five.

Big fight odds; Danny Garcia 4/6, Kendall Holt 6/5 bet365