A helpless Drian Francisco
By Rich Mazon
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 08 Jul 2013
It seems that Drian Francisco has no opinion whatsoever in the makeup of his team going to his all-important fight next week against Chris Avalos at the Texas Station Casino in Las Vegas.
Francisco who is now currently training and residing in Los Angeles under the auspices of former boxer turned trainer, Justin Fortune, is incapable of making decisions pertaining to his team that can help him and his corner when he fights a dangerous opponent this Friday.
The boxer was helpless when Fortune revoked the services of Francisco?s former cut man and friend, Dr. Ed de la Vega, who served as his cut man and confidant in his last fight against Javier Gallo, also in Los Angeles.
Dr. de la Vega, a practicing dental surgeon for 42 years in California and a certified cut man in the sport, was surprised when he visited the gym last week and was informed by Fortune that his services were no longer needed and that the trainer had hired someone else, who Fortune will have to pay for.
Dr. de la Vega has not demanded any payments from Francisco in his last bout nor is he after any now. In fact, he has been doing this ?pro-bono? to fighters that come from his native Philippines.
Francisco, according to Dr. de la Vega, ?had no say? in his trainer?s sudden change of mind, despite his preference for De la Vega, who can not only act as a cut-man but also as a translator between trainer and boxer, if Fortune needed to relay instructions to him at ringside.
Francisco?s native language is Tagalog and not English, and a possible miscommunication between him and Fortune can be avoided if a countryman like Dr. de la Vega is there to assist him in that part, especially in the heat of battle in that ring this Friday.
I remember how Fortune in the past, had to ask Philboxing photographer, Jhay Otamias, to yell instructions to Francisco in Tagalog during the boxer?s training and sparring sessions.
?E siya (Fortune) talaga masusunod, di ko kasi talaga si Justin pwede pangunahan.?
(He, [Fortune] gets what he wants. I cannot make decisions ahead of Justin.) was Francisco?s remark when Philboxing.com reached him regarding the matter.
?Wala pa ako napapatunayan, kaya di ako makapag-demand at dito pa rin ako nakatira sa kanila, kaya yun.?
(I have not proven anything yet, that is why I cannot demand anything from him and I still live with him, which is why.) He added.
Fortune has also been very strict with this site?s request to cover Francisco?s training in his gym. The trainer did not allow Otamias to take photographs of the Filipino boxer when he visited him in the gym last Saturday. He also did not allow Francisco to watch the fight between Marcos Maidana and Josesito Lopez in the nearby Home Depot Center last June which Francisco wanted to watch, according to Otamias.
Francisco hooked up with Fortune last year when he fought Javier Gallo in November. The boxer was endorsed to Fortune by Francisco?s estranged manager last year. Francisco severed ties with his former manager and stable, Elmer Anuran of the Saved by the Bell stable, and flew to Los Angeles to join Fortune?s team earlier this year. The managerial dispute between Francisco and Anuran has not been settled and Anuran insists that Francisco has still a valid contract with him.
Is Fortune being dictatorial in his handling of Francisco? Can he not include his boxer?s wishes in matters that concerned Francisco himself?
Francisco may be helpless, living in his house and dependent on him at this time, but that does not mean that Fortune can dictate whatever he wants to Francisco. There are boundaries between trainer and boxer, mentor and pupil, and this early, Fortune is already ignoring them.
We have seen Filipino boxers dropped like hot potato by their foreign trainers and managers once they lose in a fight. Remember what happened to Mark Jason Melligen?
Where will Francisco end up if Fortune decides to let him go, in case he is defeated? Nowhere but in the understanding arms of his ?kababayans? that Fortune is alienating Francisco from.
You can reach the author at rrmaze24@aol.com and on Twitter at Freemazon910
Photo: Dr. de la Vega, acting as cut man and translator for Francisco during his post- fight interview in his last bout.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rich Mazon .
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