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

Meh. The whole family represents the worst habits of Cuban boxers, IMO. (both their in-ring styles and their lazy-but-entitled attitudes since defecting and going pro)

Rances, Yan, and Giordis Barthelemy...or are there even more? :think

 

Round 2

Truax is circling left, bending his knees to lean in toward Duran, hoisting up his arms to block the incoming jab and then popping his jab in singles and doubles into Duran's forehead. Quick flurries under the elbows by Truax while turning Duran. Soft double jab outside by Truax. Duran pushes a jab and misses as Truax dives in and squeezes his waist, springs out and pops more jabs through his guard. Wide hook by Duran, ducked.

10-9 Truax

20-18 Truax

 

Round 3

Truax is leading Duran around the ring, jabbing softly into his supraorbital ridge. Truax is staying in close and shimmying left and right, shrugging his weight in either direction with his arms up at shoulder level and fists closing rank whenever Duran pokes out with a jab. Side to side movement by Truax, avoiding the ropes as Duran presses in with the turtle shell jabbing repeatedly in straight lines. Truax bounces off the ropes dropping a straight flurry on the belly as Duran grazes the back of his head with a lead right.

10-9 Truax

30-27 Truax

 

89% of Facebook viewers agreed with you. :nod

Close enough to go either way, that one. :good Definitely a blueprint for Duran to have more success - crowd Truax into the corner and pump that 1-2. No more plodding along with unsurprising single jabs.

 

Round 4

Truax is stepping in and out, jabbing Duran on the nose and fading away with his left glove hanging out to stifle Duran's jab. Truax is getting caught more often by the jab on the inside and his face is cut on either side of his nostrils. Duran is coming forward doing his best Winky imitation, elbows nearly up at his throat and knuckles over his crown, dropping the drawbridge jab on Truax but getting partially blocked. Truax is still getting through just a bit cleaner with his jab as he uses lateral movement to keep Duran pivoting to face up.

10-9 Truax, close again, could be a draw now...

40-36 Truax

 

Jab stats through four:

Truax 10 of 183, 5%
Duran 23 of 111, 21%