ESPN2 FNF: Argenis Mendez vs. Rances Barthelemy & Caleb Truax vs. Ossie Duran RBR

IntentionalButt · Jan 3, 2014

Top of the hour. :good

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IntentionalButt · Jan 3, 2014

My spin:

Robney said: ↑

Tonight, the first FNF ot the new year! :happy:bbb
Call me a cinic, but I expect at least 1 robbery.
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IntentionalButt said: ↑

Maybe in the main event. Barthelemy is with event co-promoter Warriors Boxing - and while Mendez is with the other co-promoter, Iron Mike Productions, they do not cancel one another out. Warriors has strong ties already with the Midwest and has staged cards there already, with this being their ninth and second in Minnesota alone. Barthelemy himself last fought there, headlining an FNF in June. One judge is from Minnesota. A second judge is also from the Midwest. So is the ref. :!:

Tyson's crew, meanwhile, is still in its infancy and despite his personal staying household name value they have yet to establish (or at least demonstrate) any real political clout in the business. (Not to say that Warriors are major players, but they've been around for a while and remain a significantly bigger outfit than IMP, for now...) This is only their second ever show, making them subordinate to Warriors even without factoring in the regional ties - and IMP is very much rooted in Tyson's home of NYC and not the Midwest.

Bathelemy even with neutral judges would be positioned for a gift decision (should it come to one) based on styles alone. He is taller and prone to coming forward pushing his jab and throwing long right hands - ineffective or not, these will catch more attention than most of the very sneaky fast counters Mendez will be dropping on him while looking to outmaneuver him. Barthelemy could be given lots of "aggressor" rounds even though I consider him no better a puncher than Mendez and honestly the more likely to be kayoed in this match-up, probably late if he gasses as we have seen before.

Looking at their respective performances with their recent common opponent tells you all you need to know about who the better man is and who is more likely to get robbed.

I did not agree with Teddy Atlas that Barthelemy vs. Usmanee was some horrible travesty and had no problem with Barthelemy getting the nod - but it did expose the Cuban as being quite limited and it was close enough to go either way. I had it 115-113 Barthelemy like judge Ric Bays and can't see it any wider. Usmanee fought his ass off but was just a little too sloppy for me to say he was clearly best man on the night. He did take five clear rounds, meaning the pair of 116-112 cards were overly generous to Barthelemy - and if you swing a couple of the close ones Usmanee's way it could've been a draw or the same tight 115-113 margin for him.

Meanwhile, in the world title shot that Usmanee was gifted based on a wave of sympathy following that 'robbery', he was clearly outmatched despite another gutsy A+ effort which saw Mendez outbox him comfortably despite a few hairy moments, IMO. I had that one 117-111 Mendez, as did many others here, pretty easy one to score - yet the judges had a split draw with the dissenting judge having Usmanee ahead! atsch

So clearly Barthelemy has greater luck on the cards.

The deck is stacked against the champ...he might need to play the role of the mechanical rabbit, tucker his man out, and move in for the kill with that late push for a fatigue-aided stoppage while fishily behind on points.

As for the co-feature, I would love to see one last balls-out showing from Duran but the way Korobov chewed him up and spit him out tells me the bad-ass Ghanaian might have overstayed his time in the ring. Truax is no joke and has been steadily gaining respect since he was slated for a cherry-picked Jermain Taylor comeback opponent (proving game enough to knock Taylor down, and on a nice run since then) and is probably the best domestic middleweight although he will never be world class. While Duran would have been able to - and did, on a regular basis - give the likes of Truax an incredibly difficult night's work just a few years ago, those days are probably over. Truax might just become the 2nd man to stop Duran, owing as much to wear and tear on the latter as the none too light hands and moderately impressive gas tank of the former.

If this were still the Duran of a while back, he would be a prime candidate to be robbed in Traux's backyard. :yep As of now he will probably deserve the loss even if he makes the final bell as despite being a gym rat and preserving himself well into his mid-late thirties he simply can't match the youngsters' hustle anymore.
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Robney · Jan 3, 2014

counting down :bbb

Bustajay · Jan 3, 2014

Robney said: ↑

counting down :bbb
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VCASH ON Rances for the upset:smoke

Collie · Jan 3, 2014

:bbb

eltirado · Jan 3, 2014

:boxer

conraddobler · Jan 3, 2014

IntentionalButt said: ↑

My spin:
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Barthelemy by decision +400 :think

WildStyle · Jan 3, 2014

I like Rances. I like him better than certain other Cubans out there fighting.

Drew101 · Jan 3, 2014

Evening, everyone. :hi: :good

Robney · Jan 3, 2014

WE ARE LIVE!

Take it away IB

Hatesrats · Jan 3, 2014

Checkin' in... Happy FNF's 2014 premier everyone

Forza · Jan 3, 2014

Teddy already in full hater mode already lol

Drew101 · Jan 3, 2014

10-9 Truax

IntentionalButt · Jan 3, 2014

Caleb Truax vs. Ossie Duran, 10 rounds @ middleweight

IntentionalButt · Jan 3, 2014

Round 1

Truax is circling and popping the jab. Duran keeps a high guard, taking slow and predictable steps forward with a telegraphed push-jab over Truax's head. Truax dives in with a flurry on the body, holds briefly, moves outside and back on the jab, coasting.

10-9 Truax

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ESPN2 FNF: Argenis Mendez vs. Rances Barthelemy & Caleb Truax vs. Ossie Duran RBR

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ESPN2 FNF: Argenis Mendez vs. Rances Barthelemy & Caleb Truax vs. Ossie Duran RBR

IntentionalButt Guy wants to name his çock 'macho' that's ok by me

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