DRIAN FRANCISCO TO FIGHT RIGONDEAUX FOR WBA TITLE ON COTTO-ALVAREZ UNDERCARD
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 14 Nov 2015
Filipino super bantamweight Drian Franicisco will fight undefeated Guillermo Rigndeaux for his WBA super bantamweight title on the undercard of the middleweight showdown between Miguel Cotto and Saul ?Canelo" Alvarez on November 22, Manila Time, at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, in a fight card to be telecast by TV5.
The New Standard/boxingmirror.com learned of the Francisco-Rigondeux title fight when Francisco pulled out of a scheduled ten round bout against rugged Danilo Pena in an MP Promotions USA fight card at the Philippine Navy Gymnasium in Fort Bonifacio on Friday evening.
Francisco revealed that he ?had an offer from MP Promotions to fight abroad against Rigondeaux for a world championship. This is a chance for me for a world championship and this normally doesn?t happen and this is okay for me.
Asked whether he was in condition to fight Rogondeaux, Francisco said ?I am in shape because I was supposed to fight tonight and I am a little slim and when asked whether I could make the weight (122 pounds) I said when I enter the ring I will only be five or six pounds heavier so easy for me to lose weight to make the limit.?
When told that Rigondeaux, the two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist was an extremely good fighter, Francisco said ?if you think you can handle him you will but if you think you cannot, you will not.?
Francisco indicated that he had long dreamed of fighting Rigondeaux and that he believed he could beat him.
When boxing man Mike Ochosa who covered the MP Promotions fight card for Viva Sports asked Drian what he needs to do against Rigondeaux, he replied ?I need heart and believe that as a Pinoy we will rarely get a chance to fight for a championship. This is a battle of hearts and good physical condition.?
He said he believes as an outstanding amateur whose style in the pros is still the same Rigondeaux would be befuddled by his unorthodox style and while there are those who believe he hasn?t a chance he has confidence in himself to be able to take the unbeaten world champion.
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