DRIAN FRANCISCO BACK TRAINING AT THE FORTUNE GYM
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 20 Aug 2013
Former WBA super flyweight Interim champion Drian Francisco is back in training at the gym of former heavyweight contender and one time Manny Pacquiao strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune, following his ten round unanimous decision loss to fancied Chris Avalos of San Diego in a super bantamweight fight at the Texas Station Casino in Las Vegas on a Top Rank presentation of ESPN?s Friday Night Fights.
Fortune told the Manila Standard that Top Rank is ?still interested? in getting Francisco a fight and that he would meet with matchmaker Brad Goodman on Friday.
Fortune said Francisco would go down to bantamweight and has been training in his Los Angeles Gym and would in fact begin sparring on Wednesday, Manila Time.
The trainer said he had Francisco checked by a leading entomologist when he found out the fighter couldn?t breathe after the fourth round and appeared to have an asthma attack.
He said the specialist discovered that Francisco ?couldn?t breathe from one side of his nose and he had an allergy caused by loads of cigarette smoke in the warm up area next to the casino."
Fortune claimed the doctor told him Francisco ?was lucky to make it after four rounds because his diaphragm was really tight but because he was really fit he made it to the end of the ten round fight.?
The trainer said ?people will say we are making excuses but I?m not that way.?
The Francisco-Avalos fight was marked by several vicious exchanges but Francisco faded 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.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Gracie meets Zubiri in PH
By Lito delos Reyes, Mon, 02 Feb 2026International Master Eric Labog Jr. rules FIDE rapid chess tourney
By Marlon Bernardino, Mon, 02 Feb 202676ers star Paul George has been suspended for 25 NBA games by doping
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Sun, 01 Feb 2026Fit To Be Unified: Xander Zayas Defeats Abass Baraou To Unify Junior Middleweight World Titles
Sun, 01 Feb 2026Fit To Be Unified: Xander Zayas Defeats Abass Baraou To Unify Junior Middleweight World Titles
Sun, 01 Feb 2026Trazo beats Jabagat in Talisay
By Lito delos Reyes, Sun, 01 Feb 2026Into fights Sanchez on Feb. 9 at Villa Kristen
By Lito delos Reyes, Sun, 01 Feb 2026Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson: Styles Make Fights Fitting Cliche
By Chris Carlson, Sat, 31 Jan 2026Bryan Flores Wins Majority Decision Over Starling Castillo in Main Event of ProBoxTV’s ‘The Contender Series’ at Live! Casino Hotel Maryland
Sat, 31 Jan 2026KinetixSports Legacy Run on March 1
By Lito delos Reyes, Sat, 31 Jan 2026THE RING 6: OFFICIAL WEIGHTS AND RUNNING ORDER FOR TEOFIMO LOPEZ VS. SHAKUR STEVENSON
Sat, 31 Jan 2026Legendary Soccer Player Sergio Ramos to make professional boxing debut
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Sat, 31 Jan 2026Weigh-In Results: Xander Zayas vs. Abass Baraou
Sat, 31 Jan 2026Teofimo vs Shakur Fight Analysis
By Ralph Rimpell, Sat, 31 Jan 2026Rohan Polanco-Christian Gomez Welterweight Showdown Canceled
Sat, 31 Jan 2026