WILMINGTON, Del. -- World Boxing Council middleweight champion Keith Holmes on Monday sued promoter Don King for breach of contract, seeking unspecified damages and termination of the contract.

In papers filed in the U.S. District Court in Wilmington, Del., Holmes, 28, of Bowie, Md., said his amended March 1997 contract called for King Productions to promote three bouts a year.

King met the provision for the first two years, but failed to do so for the third year that ended May 27, court papers said. Holmes' only fight covered by the contract from May 1999 to May 2000 was a Sept. 24, 1999, defeat of Andrew Council in Washington, D.C.

On April 29, 2000, Holmes defeated Robert McCracken in a mandatory defense of his title in London, England. But according to the lawsuit, that fight was not promoted by King and was specifically excluded from the three bouts allegedly required by the contract.

Holmes has asked for a jury trial on his request for damages related to "loss of income ... as well as the loss of potential earnings" as a result of his decreased "public exposure."

He also wants the jury to find that the contract, which is set to end May 27, 2001, was terminated when King Productions allegedly failed to meet the terms.

King Productions, located in Deerfield Beach, Fla., was not immediately available for comment.