Miami-based Richard Dobal, co-promoter of streaking super featherweight prospect Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy (16-0, 11 KOs), says despite his fighter’s increasing profile and popularity, he is not taking anything for granted heading into Saturday’s fight.
Dobal knows a blue-chip prospect when he sees one. The Miami native has been in boxing for over 25 years. Before becoming a promoter, Dobal served as a fighter, a trainer, and a manager. He’s run training camps for world champions and done public relations and matchmaking as well. He started Richard Dobal Productions in 2004 and changed the name to Bad Dog Productions in 2006.
Bad Dog currently promotes or co-promotes undefeated Cuban featherweight and 2004 Olympian Luis Franco, Barthelemy, #9 middleweight Jose Miguel Torres, and recent world title challenger Eromosele Albert.
What do you know about Rances’ upcoming opponent, Soma Rodriguez?
He’s a tough guy coming in from Mexico and he’s not a last-minute replacement. He’s had two months to prepare. I’m sure this guy is coming to fight; and I’m sure he’s coming here to win. He’s gone the distance and beaten who he’s supposed to. It’s a good test. Rances is #6 in the world. These are the fights that he needs in order to go to the next level.
How do you feel about Rances’ progress thus far in his career?
It’s been a little frustrating because it seems that every time you’re dealing with Cuban fighters, when the subject of their amateur background comes up, everybody backs off. We have a lot of difficulty getting opponents for Rances because he is often mistaken for his brother, who won a gold medal. Guys do their research and back out. Even still, we’ve moved him at a good pace. He’s got 16 fights so far. We’re satisfied. He’s fought all over the place. He knows how to fight in somebody else’s backyard. Give credit to Chico Rivas, our matchmaker. He’s given us as many different looks as we could possibly get. Rances has been in with movers, boxers, southpaws, brawlers. He’s had a taste of everything.
How do you feel about his development as a fighter?
I think he’s a little ahead of where we pictured him at this stage. You have to credit his managers, who made the investment to send him to live in Vegas because of the lack of quality sparring in Miami. A big part of the plan was to have him training with Miguel Diaz who has trained so many world champions. We felt that was crucial and it has been. He’s gotten great training from Miguel.
How did you come to sign Rances?
We signed Luis Franco and just a week into having him, he says ‘I have a friend I know from Cuba. He’s not an Olympian, but he was in the Cuban program. His brother is a former Olympic gold medallist. I’d like you to take a look. We said ‘ok we’ll look at him.’
Sure enough, he brought us a diamond in the rough. He’s 5′ 11″ and punches with both hands. He’s also fast and he can box. He had ample amateur experience both in Cuba and here in the US.
When Luis brought us this kid, our jaws dropped. He’s like a miniature Tommy Hearns. That’s what we both thought immediately. So, we signed him and partnered up with Leon (Margules of Warriors Boxing) and we’re very happy. It’s been a great partnership so far that will hopefully lead to bigger and better things.
Rances is a guy who has the height, length and youth on his side, he could conceivably be a champion in three divisions. This kid is a freak of nature physically. He makes 130 no problem. He’s strong as an ox. He has to spar with kids much bigger than himself. He looks up to other big little guys like Diego Corrales and Tommy Hearns and patterns his game after them.
You took a gamble by taking on another undefeated fighter in Hylon Williams on national TV and it paid off impressively (Barthelemy won via unanimous decision). Tell me about that decision.
It was a calculated gamble, but we were confident and ready for the challenge. They both had identical records. They both had big amateur records, and both had blazing speed, but we felt the size difference was the one overwhelming advantage and we were right. That’s the same advantage we’ll have with anybody at 130 lbs. I doubt anyone will match Rances in size. Darryl Peoples, The President of the IBF, saw him fight in Quebec made the comment that the kid is a ‘monster.’ Darryl is right. I have never seen a guy so big at 130 lbs.
Miami via Cuba’s Barthelemy will take on Guadalajara, Mexico’s Alejandro “Soma” Rodriguez (14-6, 7 KOs) in the co-feature of Warriors Boxing Promotions’ August 18 boxing event entitled “Miami Warfare II” at the MACC at the Doubletree Hotel in Miami, Florida, and broadcast live on Telefutura’s Solo Boxeo Tecate.
In the night’s junior welterweight main event, Colombian slugger Breidis Prescott (25-4, 18 KOs) will face colorful New Yorker Francisco “Gato” Figueroa (20-4-1, 13 KOs).
