On January 3rd undefeated top Jr. Lightweight contender
Rances Barthelemy challenging IBF world Jr. Lightweight champion Argenis Mendez
for the championship in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Originally Barthelemy was declared
the winner via second round knockout over Mendez. This result however, would be
changed to a no decision as it was ruled that the combination landed by
Barthelemy that resulted in the end of the fight landed after the bell rung to
end the second round.
With the results of that fight changed and with the IBF
title returned to Mendez per the bout being ruled a no decision, a rematch
between the two would take place. In the rematch, which took place on July 10th
in Miami, Florida, Barthelemy would score a convincing twelve round unanimous
decision over Mendez to win the title.
Nearly three months to the day of his winning a world title,
Barthelemy would make the first defense of his IBF crown against the
International Boxing Federation’s (IBF) number three rated contender Fernando
Saucedo on October 4th at the Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Mashantucket,
Connecticut. For twelve rounds Barthelemy simply dominated the fight.
Barthelemy’s well-balanced offense to the body and head, accuracy, and
precision timing were the story of this fight. The “Game” challenger never
stopped trying to turn the fight in his favor, but he was simply outclassed by
the champion.
What impressed me about Barthelemy’s performance in this
fight was how he paced himself throughout the contest. Barthelemy was clearly
the more active and more accurate of the two fighters, but it was a fight where
his elusiveness in being able to avoid much of Saucedo’s offense by using his
lateral movement was as much a part of the story as his ability to be crisp and
accurate with his offense.
Saucedo was aggressive throughout much of this fight, but he
could not find a way to avoid Barthelemy’s hand speed and ability to counter
punch. Although this fight did not provide much drama and excitement, it was
still an impressive performance by a world champion in his first title defense.
With his first title defense now in his rearview mirror, the
question is what may be in store for Rances Barthelemy as 2015 approaches?
Assuming that Barthelemy will not fight another opponent before the end of
2014, I believe that a logical opponent for him in the new year would be the
winner of the upcoming IBF Jr. Lightweight elimination bout between current
number two contender Michael Farenas and number six rated contender Jose
Pedraza, which will take place on November 14th in Puerto Rico.
If a mandatory defense is not what is next for Barthelemy
fighters such as former world champions Orlando Salido, Billy Dib, and top
contenders Romain Jacob, Francisco Vargas, and Diego Magdaleno might all be
considered as potential options. There is of course the possibility of
potential unification fights that might interest Barthelemy with the other
champions of the division like WBC champion Takashi Mira, WBO champion Mikey Garcia,
and WBA champion Takashi Uchiyama.
For now this observer believes that it might be more likely
that Barthelemy will take on a top contender before a potential unification
bout could be discussed. It is clear however, with three impressive
performances in world championship fights in 2014, Rances Barthelemy has
established himself as a central figure in the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division.
It will be interesting to see where Barthelemy goes from here.
“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”
The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison
All Rights Reserved.
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