DRIAN FRANCISCO LOSES TO FANCIED CHRIS AVALOS IN A WAR
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 13 Jul 2013
Former WBA super flyweight Interim champion Drian Francisco has lost in what was to be a big test for the Filipino, dropping a ten round unanimous decision to fancied Chris Avalos of San Diego at the Texas Station Casino in Las Vegas on a Top Rank presentation of ESPN?s Friday Night Fights.
The fight was marked by several vicious exchanges but Francisco who is trained by former world heavyweight contender Justin Fortune who was also one-time conditioning coach of Manny Pacquiao, appeared to fade in the late rounds and paid the price.
With the win Avalos improved to 22-2 with 16 knockouts and captured the North American Boxing Organization super bantamweight title while Francisco dropped to 24-2-1 with 19 knockouts.
All three judges had Avalos the winner by margins of 96-94 with two judges scoring it for the American 97-93.
Boxingscene?s Rick Reeno reported that after a close first round leather started flying in the second before Avalos caught Francisco on the ropes and connected with some good shots.
Both fighters exchange some hard shots in the fifth with the fight going one way and then the other.
Reeno reported that both fighters were trading punches in the next few rounds even as he noted that the awkward Francisco ?throwing some of the weirdest looking punches since Emmanuel Augustus was fighting.?
The ninth round opened up with a huge exchange but Avalos connected with the more telling punches.
Boxingscene.com said Francisco ?looked very tired and started taking some damage at the end. Avalos dominated tenth, as Francisco did what he could to hang on until the final bell.?
Photo: Chris Avalos (L) and Drian Francisco exchange punches during their fight at the Texas Station Casino in Las Vegas Friday night. Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank.
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