Had there been a fight of monikers, it would have looked like The Ghost vs. Kid Blast. Behind the headlines, however, a different narrative unfolds. It’s a clash between a 30-year-old former title challenger and a 39-year-old former two-division champion. At the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, the free segment of the Lamont Roach Jr. vs. Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz Amazon Prime PPV concludes with a ten-round light-welterweight bout between Frank Martin and Rances Barthelemy.

Just a month away from his 31st birthday, for Detroit-born Frank Martin, a win over a former world champion potentially paves the way back to boxing mainstream. Absent from the limelight since his loss to Gervonta “Tank” Davis, he now seeks fortune in a new weight class. The path, however, is riddled with potholes, and Rances Barthelemy doesn’t appear to be the type to make his journey safe or easy. For the Cuban-born fighter, this could be a final attempt at breaking into boxing’s upper tiers.

Predicting Frank Martin vs. Rances Barthelemy: Who has better stats and a record?

Age isn’t the only factor. Barthelemy seems to edge out Martin on paper as well. With nearly a decade and a half of professional experience and 35 bouts behind him, the former amateur standout boasts titles in two weight classes. But the journey has been far from smooth. One bout, the title fight against Argenis Mendez, ended in a no-contest, while another, the draw against Robert Easter Jr., halted his lightweight aspirations. Barthelemy suffered three losses to Kiryl Relikh, Gary Antuanne Russell, and Jose Ramirez.

A former junior national champion in Cuba, his technical pedigree outweighs his tendency for early stoppages. Only 50% of his 30 wins have come via knockout.

Barthelemy’s opponent stands in stark contrast. Though he lacks experience and has only 19 professional fights, Frank Martin draws attention with his knockout power. While not yet proven at the highest level, he still holds an impressive 67% knockout-to-win ratio.

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Frank Martin vs. Rances Barthelemy: Height, weight, reach comparison, and more

If not through technical finesse, Barthelemy may try to blunt Martin’s power using his physical advantages. Standing at 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm), he is nearly two inches taller than Martin, who measures 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm). With a 78.5-inch (184 cm) reach, Barthelemy also holds a reach advantage of more than four and a half inches.

When he fought Gervonta Davis last June, Martin weighed 134.4 pounds, meeting the lightweight limit. Barthelemy, by contrast, weighed 142 pounds in the lead-up to the Ramírez fight.

Their most recent weigh-in results are

• Martin: … pounds
• Barthelemy: … pounds

Fight prediction

Youth and aggression seem to favor Frank Martin, with the vast majority of fans and pundits predicting he will hand Barthelemy a fourth consecutive loss. Surprisingly, Martin enters the fight after an 18-month layoff, yet the inactivity doesn’t appear to concern many.

Some even view this matchup as a small tune-up before Martin makes a full push into the 140-pound division. For Barthelemy, another defeat could signal the closing chapter of an otherwise impressive career.

Styles and strategy

Though not by a wide margin, Martin vs. Barthelemy remains a stylistically contrasting bout: a technically sharp southpaw versus a defensive-minded boxer from Cuba’s storied boxing tradition. Using his height well, Martin relies on his jab to the head and body while maintaining mobility.

As the Tank Davis fight showed, he is difficult to hit cleanly, often using his lead hand to block before lunging in with the rear.

Rances Barthelemy, while an aggressive fighter, primarily follows a hit-and-don’t-get-hit style. Like many Cuban boxers, he can switch stances effectively. His body attack is strong, capable of delivering rib-cracking hooks.

However, he has often been criticized for failing to use his reach effectively or for getting drawn into dogfights rather than boxing strategically.

Fans may witness a clash of jabs in the early rounds. By the third or fourth, Martin could close distance with body shots to wear down the Cuban-American, who may try to keep him at bay behind his long reach.

If Martin cannot break Barthelemy down with body shots, the fight could very well end as a tightly contested affair.

If Martin wins tonight, who would you like him to be paired against next?