Unbeaten Drian, Nunez face off

MANILA, Philippines - Rising Filipino pug Drian Francisco tries to move closer to a possible shot at a first ever world crown as he takes on Ricardo Nunez of Panama on April 17 at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

Set over 12 rounds, the super-flyweight fight serves as a World Boxing Association (WBA) title eliminator match.

Nobuo Nashiro of Japan is the current WBA champion in the 115 lb. division.

Dubbed “Young Guns”, the boxing card, presented by Solar TV and Solar Sports, is the third installment of the popular series “Boxing at the Bay”, featuring the best and the upcoming fighters from around the world.

Francisco, 27, is undefeated in 18 pro fights, including 14 KOs. He is coming off a 10th round technical knockout of former world champion Robert Vazquez, also of Panama last October during the initial presentation of the “Boxing at the Bay” (First Strike) series at the Astrodome.

The Filipino is currently ranked No. 3 by the WBA.

Equally impressive is the 22-year old Nunez, rated by the WBA at No. 2. A native of La Chorrera, Panama, Nunez sports a 17-1 record with 15 stoppages.

His only loss came against compatriot William De Sousa in 2008 following a first round technical knockout.