GYM Série de Boxe: Francis Lafrenière vs. Albert Onolunose & Christian Mbilli vs Jesús Gurrola RBR

Francis Lafrenière vs. Albert Onolunose, 10 rounds @ middleweight

 

This nerd in the middle of the flag girls (ring announcer) is trying so hard not to make it obvious how bad he's wishing for a ménage à trois.

 

Round 1

Lafrenière is down straight away, ten seconds after the bell. Ruled a slip although Onolunose strutted away confidently as though his swatting hooks were responsible. Onolunose is jabbing and hooking at the head while circling at mid-range, clockwise, at medium-high speed. Onolunose dips and reverses direction, stepping to his right and confusing Lafrenière enough to land a four-piece on him both from & upon exiting a crouch. Jabs landing at will for Onolunose. Lafrenière bows forward and pins his forearms together over his face and steeples his fists over his brow with his elbows spread wide in a triangle, leaving his chest and lower jaw open to jabs. Onolunose taps him obligingly while continuing to circle.

10-9 Onolunose

 

Awful start for him.

 

If he springs the upset this will be Onolunose's first remotely significant victory since he was destroyed by Grady Brewer in his lone defeat, nine years ago. (not to mention arguably his career best, period, actually)

 

Round 2

Lafrenière is tilting and weaving his way in, slowly and somewhat clumsily rocking his weight to other side but able to break up the rhythm of the Onolunose jab nonetheless. Lafrenière getting inside and slapping the body. Onolunose affected by some body combos, doubling over and holding. Lafrenière is walking him down and blocking lead right hands on his pinned-together forearms. Onolunose throws straight combos into the guard on the back-foot, very lightly. Lafrenière keeps pressuring, buzzing the ear with errant jabs and working the body.

10-9 Lafrenière

19-19

 

Round 3

Lafrenière is continuing to dive head-first into the Onolunose jab, willingly absorbing it on the faced-out undersides of his wrists and not seeming to mind when it occasionally breaks through and grazes his beard. Lafrenière is swaddling Onolunose in leather, jabbing and flapping left hooks on the inside to back him up, then landing roundhouses on the body and basting Onolunose's mohawk with an overhand right when he pulls back. Lafrenière manages to apparently buzz Onolonuse slightly with a few overhands. Now clinches initiated by Onolunose. They push apart to swap uppercuts on the body. Lafrenière's seem to be taking more of a toll as Onolunose is the one to press himself in to end the hostilities with a clinch.

10-9 Lafrenière

29-28 Lafrenière

 

Round 4

Lafrenière is winging in sloppy body shots, his arms resembling a robotic claw from the prize-grabbing machine in a kid's arcade, with perhaps slightly jerkier movements. Onolunose playing a game of jab 'n' grab, and getting in some effective shoeshine flurries downstairs before tying up. Onolunose barks and throws a hook-2 combo, blocked yet knocking Lafrenière back a few steps. Uppercut and headlock applied by Onolunose. Lafrenière tired. Onolunose whipping in body shots and tying up before Lafrenière can retaliate. Sloppy lead right by Lafrenière falling in. 1-2-1 puncturing the guard up top by Onolunose and then a couple of taps underneath the elbows on the body.

10-9 Onolunose

38-38

 

Round 5

Lafrenière is hurling weak croquet sticks at the body, many deflected off the outwardly turned elbows. Lafrenière also hacking up top with a soft overhand right. Onolunose is clasping his gloves beneath Lafrenière's armpits to yank him into clinches from the outer edge of his shoulder blades, then on the break stepping back and throwing palms-up two-fisted slicing flurries at the body. Lafrenière walking onto some jabs and lunging with a lead right, falling well short. Lafrenière pushes a double jab into the air and over-commits with a bazooka right cross, slow and telegraphed, flying over Onolunose's shoulder and getting him countered with body shoeshines and tied up & spun.

10-9 Onolunose

48-47 Onolunose

 

Round 6

Lafrenière is doing his best impression of milking a cow's teat, not quite jabbing with his left, more pulling it outward while rotating it from a spot just above his shoulder, really no snap whatsoever. Onolunose is easily avoiding it, stepping around him and landing real jabs. They continue to scrabble in the clinch and both slap the body, Onolunose a little busier & cleaner. Lafrenière is hacking down heavily with the right up top, arm punches, mostly embedded in the side of the neck. Onolunose barking out short guttural exhalations with his short-burst combos. "Hah. Hunh!"

10-9 Onolunose

58-56 Onolunose

 

With all due respect honestly I don't think either of these guys should ever set foot in the ring with Butler;he'd destroy them. He and Cook are fringe world class, and this pair is a few levels below that, more like middle-rung domestic.