Watch: Angler smacked in ‘kisser’ by airborne barracuda

The accompanying footage shows why anglers should not stand too close to other anglers as they’re hauling barracuda over the rails.

The accompanying footage shows why anglers should not stand too close to other anglers as they’re hauling barracuda over the rails.

Phil Friedman, a well-known figure in the Southern California angling community, was capturing video with his phone earlier this week as his son, Patrick, announced that he was about to bounce a barracuda onto the deck.

As viewers can see, the barracuda is flung directly into the face – and camera lens – of the elder Friedman.

“Is this any way to treat your father?” Phil joked in the video description, which shows the episode in regular and slow motion. The video title: “Phil Friedman gets a barracuda right to the kisser.”

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Barracuda boast extremely sharp teeth and sport a thick coat of slime. Phil was not injured, but told For The Win Outdoors that he spent several minutes in the galley trying to remove slime from his phone.

His sons, Patrick and Philip Jr., founded Bass Bros Fishing and frequently post about their adventures via Instagram and YouTube.

Alexander Besputin tests positive for a banned substance: report

Welterweight contender Alexander Besputin tested positive for a banned substance after his victory over Radzhad Butaev on Nov. 30.

Welterweight contender Alexander Besputin tested positive for a banned substance after his victory over Radzhad Butaev on Nov. 30 in Monte Carlo, according to The Athletic.

Ligandrol, which has been shown to increase lean muscle mass, was found in Besputin’s “A” urine sample, according to a Monaco Boxing Federation test report obtained by The Athletic.

Besputin, Russian who fights out of Oxnard, California, defeated Butaev by a wide decision to win what the WBA calls its “regular” title at the Casino de Monte Carlo Salle Medecin.

Besputin (14-0, 9 KOs) was ordered by the sanctioning body to defend the title against mandatory challenger Yordenis Ugas, who fights Mike Dallas on Feb. 1. Meanwhile, Besputin said he expected to make his first defense in the spring.

It’s not clear yet what impact the positive test will have on his plans.

Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize the WBA’s “regular” title.

 

Alexander Besputin outpoints Radzhab Butaev in heated 12-rounder

Add Alexander Besputin to the short list of opponents for Terence Crawford. The southpaw Russian outpointed hard-hitting countryman Radzhab Butaev over 12 hard-fought rounds at the Casino de Monte Carlo in Monte Carlo. All three judges scored it …

Add Alexander Besputin to the short list of opponents for Terence Crawford.

The southpaw Russian outpointed hard-hitting countryman Radzhab Butaev over 12 hard-fought rounds at the Casino de Monte Carlo in Monte Carlo. 

All three judges scored it 116-112 for Besputin, who is aligned with Top Rank, the promoter of Crawford. Eddie Hearn promoted Butaev-Besputin, as he turned in a winning purse bid for the chance to stage the fight. Hearn acknowledged beforehand that he was rooting for Butaev, a Lou DiBella-promoted fighter. 

It was a closely contested fight, as evidenced by Besputin’s ruby-red face when it was over. Besputin controlled the fight with a busy jab and overcame a few vulnerable moments.

“Yes, I was very confident that I was winning the fight,” Besputin said afterward. “I was getting tired at the end. I couldn’t punch hard, but I was trying to take aim at my target.

“It was a very difficult fight. We have a big history going back to the amateurs. I did everything, and I showed that I am ready for the big (fights).”

It was a fight of two styles, with Besputin continually moving around the ring while throwing more shots than his opponent. Butaev was more economical, as he tried to hunt down the fluttering Besputin with powerful hooks. After a slow start, Butaev found his stride in Round 3, landing hard counter rights to the body. In Round 9, Butaev had his best round of the fight, hounding Besputin on the ropes with winging hooks before the bell rang. 

Just when it looked like Besputin might be slipping, he came back in the final rounds to separate himself from Butaev, boxing on the outside and preventing Butaev from setting up his power shots.

Afterward, Besputin said he wants to fight the winner of the Terence Crawford-Egidijus Kavaliauskas welterweight title fight on December 14 at Madison Square Garden.

 

 

Cecilia Braekhus drops, decisions Victoria Bustos to retain titles

Cecilia Braekhus defended her three welterweight titles with a dominant decision over Victoria Bustos on the undercard of Butaev-Besputin.

Cecilia Braekhus cruised to a dominant points victory over Victoria Bustos in a 10-round bout to retain her welterweight titles on the Radzhab Butaev-Alexander Besputin card at the Casino de Monte Carlo in Monte Carlo.

The scores were 99-91, 98-92 and 98-92, all for Braekhus.

The 38-year-old Braekhus (36-0, 9 knockouts) was never troubled as she blistered Bustos (19-6) with combinations all night. It was a lopsided fight with few entertaining moments, save for a knockdown that Braekhus scored in Round 6 with a stiff left hand counter.

It was the first fight for Braekhus since her hard-won fight over Aleksandra Lopes in December 2018.   

Afterward, Braekhus noted she felt some rust in the early rounds.

“The third round I started to get my groove back,” Braekhus said. “The last rounds I wanted to try some stuff that we’ve been working out in the gym”

Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed that he is looking to make a summer fight between lightweight titleholder Katie Taylor and Brakehus.

“It’s the biggest fight in boxing,” said Hearn. “Cecilia has broken down the doors in women’s boxing and she wants to make sure she can get the biggest fights in boxing and I think the Katie Taylor fight is the biggest fight in boxing.

“Those two are on a collisions course. In 2020 I think you will definitely see that fight.”

Also on the undercard, undefeated Welsh prospect Joe Cordina staved off the pressure attack of Enrique Tinoco, tactfully boxing his way to a clear unanimous decision victory in a 10-round junior lightweight bout.

The judges had it 98-92, 98-92, and 96-94 for Cordina.

It as a step-up bout of sorts for 27-year-old British Olympian, who was able to take some of Tinoco’s best shots as he worked diligently behind his jab.

This was Cordina’s first bout at 130 pounds since his professional debut. Cordina has campaigned at the 135-pound limit for most of his career.

Zhilei Zhang notched a dominant unanimous decision over Andriy Rudenko in a 10-round heavyweight bout.

Scores were 99-91, 98-92, and 97-93 for the Chinese heavyweight, who had not fought in over a year. Zhang was originally supposed to fight Sergey Kuzmin, but the Russian bowed out due to an injury sustained in training.

The Ukrainian Rudenko was outmatched from the start, as the southpaw Zhang (21-0, 16 KOs) consistently beat his foe to the punch. Zhang’s best weapon was the straight left, but also flashed a mean right hook. In Round 3, Zhang wobbled Rudenko and seemed to be on the verge of a stoppage.

Rudenko (32-5-, 20 KOs) made a bit of a comeback in Round 7, but it was temporary. Zhang closed out show with a slew of left hands that had Rudenko flailing around the ring late. Midway through Round 10, Zhang hurt Rudenko badly with a right hook, but Rudenko was able to hear the final bell.