Rances Barthelemy bloodies Denis Shafikov en route to claiming 135-pound world title
Turns out your girlfriend was lying: Size does matter. At least in the sport of boxing, where it pays to have arms as long as your opponent’s legs, especially when you’re trying to fend off a dude coming at you like a bowling ball destined for a strike.
Rances Barthelemy ready to put his skills to the test in 135-pound title fight against Denis Shafikov
A long piece of masking tape lines the floor, smudged in places from errant feet producing errant fists. You don’t want to step on the thing, and Rances Barthelemy never does, his shoes crisscrossing the partition without ever touching it. Back and forth his feet go, and where they land, his punches follow, fired in the direction his toes are pointed. This is the symmetry of knocking dudes stiff.
With his action-packed style, Rances Barthelemy is seeking to break the mold of the Cuban fighter
Music blares, but the man in the ring is dancing to a beat of his own, the rhythmic thwack of fist to mitt the percussion that soundtracks his movements.
