DRIAN FRANCISCO GETS AN OPPONENT AT LAST
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 12 Nov 2012
After weeks of uncertainty that rightfully angered his trainer Justin Fortune, Filipino Drian Francisco knows who he will fight on the Brian Viloria ? Hernan ?Tyson? Marquez unification flyweight title fight card at the Sports Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, Manila Time.
Francisco?s opponent will be stocky, squat Javier Gallo, the 29 year old Mexican from Tijuana who has a record of 18-5-1 with 10 knockouts.
One of Gallo?s defeats was a ten round majority decision loss to former WBC light flyweight champion Rodel Mayol on May 7, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Gallo is coming off a ten round unanimous decision loss to David Quijano last January 21 but he had earlier scored a 3rd round TKO over Jason Rorie on September 9, 2011.
Francisco, who is 30, has a record of 23-1-1 with 18 knockouts and in his last fight scored a spectacular 1st round knockout of Mexican Jose Carlos Vargas whom he dropped three times in the opening round.
The world-rated Francisco has been training at the Justin Fortune Gym in Los Angeles after taking a short break following the Vargas KO victory and told us he is in great shape and eager to fight anybody whom promoter Fernando Beltran puts in front of him.
There were talks that WBA champion Guillermo Rigondeaux would face Francisco on the undercard of the title fight between Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire and Jorge ?Travieso? Arce in Houston, Texas on December 15 but the Cuban two-time Olympic gold medalists handlers chose Thailand?s Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym instead.
Fortune said Rigondeaux ?was not interested because Drian is awfully dangerous. They are just being safe. ?
Fortune described Francisco as ?a good little fighter who can really, really punch aside from being awkward and tough.?
The trainer who was a former heavyweight contender had earlier expressed his frustrations with the failure of the promoter to inform him who Francisco was figjting. He said Francisco is ?talented and I like him but I need to know who the hell we?re fighting because its very difficult to prepare a fighter if I don?t know who the opponent is.?
Photo: Drian Francisco hit the mitts with Justin Fortune.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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