Burns-Barthelemy Showdown is Not Likely To Happen

By Jake Donovan

If you are to believe all of the ambitious reports coming out of the UK, then it will be one hell of a year for boxers from that side of the Atlantic. A series of heavily rumored bouts have been reported as being nearly finalized, including an anticipated clash between Carl Froch and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., a bout that was destined for March 28 in Las Vegas and to feature in supporting capacity a lightweight scrap between Rances Barthelemy and Ricky Burns.

The plan for the latter bout would be for Barthelemy – an unbeaten 130 lb. titlist with the International Boxing Federation (IBF) – to move up in weight and conceivably ditch his title. Meanwhile former two-division champ Burns would drop back down after having just recently climbed up the scales to 140 lb. after citing massive struggles to any longer squeeze into a lightweight uniform following back-to-back losses in 2014.

A shot at a lightweight title was believed to be the angle for such a fight, with the bout serving as a final eliminator of sorts. This is despite the fact that Barthelemy is still a reigning titlist with no intention of vacating anytime soon, nor is Burns ranked by any of the major sanctioning bodies.

Doesn’t make any sense? That’s probably because none of it will happen (including Froch-Chavez, but more on that in another story to come).

“No one here has been approached about a fight with Burns,” noted IBF spokesperson Jeanette Salazar in an email reply to BoxingScene.com.  And (a title elimination bout) wouldn’t be approved because Burns is not ranked (by the IBF).”

Burns (37-4-1, 11KOs) managed to survive more than two years as a lightweight titlist, though the last year of his reign was pure hell. Little went right in his career following his untimely departure from longtime promoter Frank Warren to join up with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing.

The wildly popular Scot has fought five times since then, struggling mightily in a 9th round stoppage win over Jose ‘Chelo’ Gonzalez in May ’13, a fight in which he trailed on all three scorecards before his opponent quit on his stool after nine rounds. The defense was followed by a controversial 12-round draw with Ray Beltran, a Sept. ’13 clash that saw Burns hit the deck and suffer a broken jaw, and with most viewing the visiting Mexican slugger winning with room to spare.

Six months later, his stay as 135 lb. titlist came to an end, dropping a 12-round decision to Terence Crawford, who came up big on the road in Glasgow to kick off a Fighter-of-the-Year-level campaign. Burns’ year was one to forget, dropping a 12-round decision to unbeaten but unheralded Dejan Zlaticanin in June, a bout that ranked among the year’s biggest upsets and which prompted Hearn to declare that Burns’ remaining days would be best spent fighting on the domestic level.

Burns has since returned to the win column, scoring an eight-round decision over Alexandre Lepelley last October in Leeds, England. The tune-up served as his first fight outside of Scotland since outpointing Michael Katsidis in Nov. ’11 to begin his lightweight title reign after having previously served as a 130 lb. titlist.

A walkover win and past title history isn’t enough, however, for Burns to return to the title picture, at least not in the manner in which recent outside reports suggest.

There still stands a chance that Barthelemy (21-0, 12KOs) winds up fighting on March 28, though for the moment remains speculation. His promoter, Warriors Boxing was granted approval to co-promote an event with Goossen Promotions on that date at the MGM Grand Ballroom (a smaller venue on the same property as the much larger MGM Grand Garden Arena) in Las Vegas.

Goossen Promotions and Warriors Boxing are both regularly utilized by high-powered adviser Al Haymon, who officially launching his upcoming “Premiere Boxing Champions” series on NBC during a press conference held Wednesday morning in New York City. Barthelemy signed with Haymon last spring, prior to his title-winning rematch with Argenis Mendez in July.

Barthelemy has since scored a 12-round decision over Fernando Saucedo. The bout—ironically on the same date as Burns’ aforementioned win over Lepelley hours before in England—serves for the moment as his lone title defense. Details of his next fight are due to come within the next few weeks.

“Regarding Rances Barthelemy, he will be notified of the mandatory (contender) on February 10th,” confirmed Salazar.

Should he go the mandatory route, the likely opponent will be Jose Pedraza. The unbeaten contender from Puerto Rico came up big last month at home, scoring a landslide 12-round win over Michael Farenas in their final eliminator.

Pedraza has since signed with Haymon, which either increases the likelihood of a showdown with Barthelemy, or subjects both to travel in separate paths if instructed to do so.

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com, as well as a member of Transnational Boxing Ratings Board, Yahoo Boxing Ratings Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox