Tonight’s Friday Night Fights hailed from the Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and featured two intriguing fights for fans. The first showcased undefeated Cuban super featherweight Rances Barthelemy, taking on the experienced Fahsai Sakkreerin. The second featured a clash between Don “Da Bomb” George and Caleb Truax. Take a look and see how they played out below.
Rances Barthelemy vs. Fahsai Sakkreerin:
In a bout for the number-one spot for the IBF 130-pound title, Rances Barthelemy moved to 19-0 (12 KOs) with a 2nd-round knockout of the now 39-4-1 Fahsai Sakkreerin. A perfect body-shot to the solar plexus left Sakkreerin stretched out on the canvas. The time was 1:26 of round two.
Barthelemy, an elongated junior lightweight at 5’11,” met the 5’7″ 31-year old Thai veteran at ring center. Naturally, boxing is Barthelemy’s game, having been a member of the esteemed Cuban national team. He poked at the much shorter Sakkreerin, as each warmed up. The Thai seemed at least eager, as he tried to muscle inside the 26-year old Bathelemy a few times.
Good action in the second, as Barthelemy connected well as Sakkreerin tried to advance. In the second, a huge sweeping right to the body put the Thai import down. He writhed in pain as the referee counted and well after. It was a big punch right to soft spot–one of those ultra-debilitating shots that doesn’t look so fearsome, but does tremendous damage.
Barthelemy was coming off a highly-disputed 12-rounder over Arash Usamanee. Surely, the emphatic knockout here will establish some good momentum, though a rematch over Usamanee would set the record straight. Sakreerin had fought all 43 of his fights in Asia and against his only recognizable foe, he had lost a decision to Martin Honorio in 2011.
Don George vs. Caleb Truax:
Caleb Truax, to the delight of his home-state fans, obliterated Don George in the 6th round of a scheduled 10-round middleweight bout. It was a bout dominated by Truax, who ended matters with a single right hand to bring his mark to 22-1-1 (13 KOs). The loss drops George to 24-4-2 (21 KOs).
George and Truax, two fringe players in the 160 and 168-pound divisions got off to a rousing start in the first round. George landed some good shots, before Truax opened up with a series of powerful rights that snapped George’s head back dramatically, getting quite a rise from the Minneapolis crowd (Truax is from nearby Osseo).
Truax, 29, and George, 28, slowed for most of the second in a letdown round. Truax found the ever-available George easily with his left during moments in the third. A crisp right bothered George at the midway point. Truax really can’t miss with the right and George isn’t liking it. He tried to fire back, but Truax can’t miss. His defense seems even more negligible than normal.
The 4th made it look like maybe Truax hurt his right hand. Not sure if that’s true, but he wasn’t throwing it. Truax, 3 straight wins removed from his lone loss, a decision loss to former middleweight king Jermain Taylor, had a more-peppery 5th, with George looking very flat. To his credit, he took a ton of flush rights, but absorbed them all. Truax is not much of a puncher. Good 5th for Truax in a fight that started with so much promise, but has grown into a cumbersome, somewhat uneven bout. George, at one point a gutsy fringe contender, looks like a trialhorse tonight, making the limited Truax actually look very good. Having lost to dilapidated former champ Jermain Taylor, we know better. Then again, maybe he’s improved. He looked fairly capable on this evening.
More trouble for George in the 6th. Again landing at absolute will, Truax poleaxed George with a downward-arching right against the ropes. It landed behind George’s left ear and put him on his face. Truax wins by knockout in the 6th round.
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Be sure to check back later in the weekend for the big fights headed our way, topped off by the highly anticipated Paulie Malignaggi vs. Adrien Broner results.
