Barthelemy Co-Promoter Says 'Kid Blast' Ready for Takeoff

"He's ready" says Richard Dobal, President of Bad Dog Productions and co-promoter of IBF #6 super featherweight Rances "Kid Blast" Barthelemy (17-0, 11 KOs). Miami-based Dobal has been with the 26-year-old Cuban Barthelemy from the beginning of his career and is hoping to watch him join the elite ranks of the 130-lb division when he faces #14-rated contender Arash Usmanee (20-0, 10 KOs) on Friday, January 4, 2013 in a 12-round elimination bout for the IBF's #2 position. Barthelemy and Usmanee will meet in the main event that night, as Warriors Boxing and Bad Dog Productions in association with the Magic City Casino, present the year's debut broadcast of ESPN's Friday Night Fights (10 PM Eastern on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, online through WatchESPN.com, and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app.) live from Stage 305 in the Magic City Casino in Miami, Florida. In the co-featured televised bout, Puerto Rican slugger Jonathan "Mantequilla" Gonzalez (15-0-1, 13 KOs) will take on Philadelphia's Derek "Pooh" Ennis (23-3-1, 13 KOs). "My partner Leon (Margules of Warriors Boxing), his manager Henry Foster and I feel this kid is world championship material. It's time to take on a guy like this. He's ready," continued Dobal. "I say that because he's had an opportunity to be in several training camps and all the feedback we get is that he's ready for bigger and better things. He was just in camp with Mercito Gesta and before that with Sharif Bogere and Marco Maidana. He's sparred several top guys and handled himself very well." Dobal says his fighter is in the perfect place at the perfect time, facing Afghani-Canadian Usmanee for a top spot in the rankings. "Whenever we've put an opponent in front of him where he had to step up, such as Hylon Williams, Rances proved he was ready. I think he's one of those fighters that the better the opponent, the more inspired he gets in training and in his performance. What I like about Usmanee is that we know him. They had an opportunity to spar a couple years ago and Arash is a guy who comes to fight. Rances won't have to find him and those are the type of opponents that showcase Rances at his best. Rances likes to fight. He likes to get down and slug it out. These are the types of opponents that Rances stylistically will do well against. We're all conscious that Arash is a very tough fighter and this is probably the toughest fight that Rances has ever had. But these are the types of guys you have to fight to become a champion." Barthelemy recently moved his base of operations back to Florida after spending time in Vegas working with well-respected trainer Miguel Diaz. "He is with new trainers now, John David Jackson and with Chico Rivas, and they put a little more emphasis on strength and conditioning. We're very grateful to Miguel in Vegas who worked with him all this time, but Rances is going to be a father soon and the distance from his fiancé with him living in Vegas wasn't working, so he made the decision to come back to Miami to support to his new family. Rances is a very good kid and family comes first." ### The undercard, which will be announced shortly, will feature several young local and international rising stars. Tickets are on sale now on the Magic City Casino website www.magiccitycasino.comas well as in person at the Magic City Players Club. They are priced at $100, $75, $50 and $35. Doors open at 7:30 pm and the first bell is at 8:00.

Barthelemy Co-Promoter: 'The Kid is a Monster!'

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. 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). 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. ### Also scheduled for action that night will be a host of local and international prospects and contenders including super middleweight Roberto J. Acevedo 5-0 (3 KOs) of Bayamón, Puerto Rico, in a four-rounder vs. TBA; light heavyweight bomber Vilier Quinonez 3-0 (2 KOs) of Cienfuegos, Cuba, who will fight a six-rounder vs. TBA; undefeated light heavyweight Yunieski Gonzalez (8-0, 5 KOs) of Havana, Cuba, who will fight a six-rounder vs. TBA; and middleweight Leosvy Mayedo (2-0, 2 KOs) of Miami, who will fight a four-rounder vs. TBA. Tickets are priced at $75 ringside/$30 general admission. A limited number of VIP tables are also available. Please call (954) 985-1155 or (786) 553-3895 to purchase tickets. On fight night, doors open 6:30 and the action starts 7:30. The MACC at the Doubletree Hotel is located at 711 NW 72nd Avenue in Miami.

Quotes from Miami Warfare II Press Conference

MIAMI, Fla. - A press conference was held today at Mojitos Restaurant in Miami for Warriors Boxing Promotions' Saturday, August 18, boxing event entitled "Miami Warfare II" at the MACC at the Doubletree Hotel. The explosive night of professional boxing will feature a high-impact eight-round junior-welterweight main event between Miami, Florida's (via Colombia) Breidis "The Khanqueror" Prescott (25-4, 18 KOs) and Francisco "Gato" Figueroa (20-4-1, 13 KOs) of Bronx, New York. In the eight-round super featherweight co-main event will be Miami (via Cuba) power puncher Rances "Kid Blast" Barthelemy (16-0, 11 KOs) facing Guadalajara, Mexico's Alejandro "Soma" Rodriguez (14-6, 7 KOs). Tickets are priced at $75 ringside/$30 general admission. A limited number of VIP tables are also available. Please call (954) 985-1155 or (786) 553-3895 to purchase tickets.    Rances Barthelemy (16-0, 11 KOs)    I'm ready and very excited to be fighting in Miami, the city of the Cubans. I am blessed with great promoters Warriors and Bad Dog and have an amazing team behind me. I am working my way up to ultimately becoming a world champion. Breidis Prescott (25-4, 18 KOs) I am grateful for another opportunity to showcase my talent. I am training hard to use my power in a smarter style. I am working myself back into the mix and back into a big fight. Leon Margules, Warriors Boxing We have eight undefeated kids on this card and they represent much of the talent in this area. It will be an amazing night of boxing and will even surpass the fantastic success of the first Miami Warfare. We have a great main event between two very solid top guys and an undercard packed with the potential for fireworks. Michael Luzbet of Winner Sports We are bringing a real boxing event back to Miami. Miami Warfare II will be bigger and better than the last event. Richard Dobal of Bad Dog Productions    We are pleased to announce this event early because it will be a great event for Miami. I am proud to be part of this event and the co-promoter of the rising star Rances Barthelemy.      Also scheduled for action that night will be a host of local and international prospects and contenders including super middleweight Roberto J. Acevedo 5-0 (3 KOs) of Bayamón, Puerto Rico, in a four-rounder vs. TBA; light heavyweight bomber Vilier Quinonez 3-0 (2 KOs) of Cienfuegos, Cuba, who will fight a six-rounder vs. TBA; undefeated light heavyweight Yunieski Gonzalez (8-0, 5 KOs) of Havana, Cuba, who will fight a six-rounder vs. TBA; and middleweight Leosvy Mayedo (2-0, 2 KOs) of Miami, who will fight a four-rounder vs. TBA. Tickets are priced at $75 ringside/$30 general admission. A limited number of VIP tables are also available. Please call (954) 985-1155 or (786) 553-3895 to purchase tickets. On fight night, doors open 6:30 and the action starts 7:30. The MACC at the Doubletree Hotel is located at 711 NW 72nd Avenue in Miami.