Drian ready to fight Cuban champ

The probability is high that hard-hitting Drian Francisco of Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, will be the next challenger of WBA superbantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux and the fight could be in the undercard of the Nonito Donaire-Jorge Arce mainer at the Toyota Center in Houston on Dec. 15.

Francisco’s manager Elmer Anuran said yesterday the title fight is 80 percent in the bag with Solar TV chief executive officer Peter Chanliong now in Los Angeles finalizing the details. The bout could be confirmed this week.

“Nobody else wants to fight Rigondeaux and the opportunity fell on our lap,” said Anuran. “We got a call from Peter last weekend about it as he’s negotiating with Top Rank. I quickly phoned Drian and (trainer) Justin Fortune who are in Los Angeles. Justin took a night to think things over then called to say let’s go for it. We think Rigondeaux is beatable. He’s never fought anybody who can hit as hard as Drian.”

But in a latebreaker, Zanfer Promotions of Mexico has decided to ditch Francisco as Rigondeaux’s challenger in Houston on Dec. 15. Another opponent, reportedly a Thai, will face the Cuban instead.

Francisco is in line to appear in the undercard of the Brian Viloria-Hernan (Tyson) Marquez in Los Angeles on Nov. 17 but to this day, no opponent has been announced. Unbeaten Mexican Julio Ceja was initially mentioned as Francisco’s opponent. Fortune, the former Australian heavyweight contender who was once Freddie Roach’s conditioning assistant at the Wild Card Gym, assured Anuran that the delay in Francisco’s fight schedule won’t affect his peaking timetable. “Justin told me Drian hasn’t started bringing down his weight,” said Anuran. “He’s about 128 now and if he fights on Nov. 17, the limit will be 118. If he fights on Dec. 15, the limit will be 122. Justin thinks there’s time for Drian to get into peak condition on Nov. 17 or Dec. 15.”

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Anuran said Francisco is excited to fight for the title. “This is his opportunity,” said Anuran. “I spoke with him about Rigondeaux. To be honest, even before Drian left for the US last September, he already talked to me about Rigondeaux, that he wants to fight him, that he can beat him. We never expected this chance to happen so soon but he’s ready.”

Anuran said he’s not bothered by the fact that Francisco’s last two fights ended in just one round. He’s coming off first round disposals of Mexican Jose Carlos Vargas and Thailand’s Pichitchai Twin Gym. “Drian is working hard in the gym,” he said. “He’s building more muscle without gaining weight. He likes the plyometrics he’s doing with Justin. He can go 12 rounds of sparring without getting tired. It’s all about training and conditioning. Drian thinks Justin’s program will prepare him for whatever happens in a fight. He’s ready to go 12 rounds if necessary. He’s not afraid to lose steam.”

Anuran said he’s not impressed with Rigondeaux, a two-time Olympic gold medalist. “I watched his fight against (Ricardo) Cordoba and he looked ordinary,” said Anuran. “I don’t think he’s ever fought anyone quite as tough as Drian.”

Rigondeaux, 32, floored Cordoba in the fourth but went down himself in the sixth before pounding out a split 12-round decision in the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito mainer at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas two years ago. The judges’ scoring was controversial as Nelson Vazquez had it 117-109 and Ruben Garcia 114-112 for the Cuban but Raul Caiz Sr. 114-112 for the Panamanian. Vazquez’ eight-point margin for Rigondeaux was highly irregular.

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Francisco, 29, left Manila a week before facing Vargas in Sonora last Sept. 29 and has since stayed in Los Angeles where he trains with Fortune. Anuran arranged for Francisco to live with his friends and relatives from Batangas so he doesn’t get homesick. Fortune’s gym is on Sunset Boulevard, only three blocks from Vine Street where the Wild Card Gym is located.

“Drian’s been outstanding in the gym,” said Anuran. “I monitor his progress closely. Justin has difficulty finding sparmates at Drian’s weight because they don’t last so he’s forced to get bigger guys. I was told an unbeaten Mexican featherweight came in to spar one day and quit in the third round after his nose was bloodied.”

For Francisco, this is his chance of a lifetime. He was ranked No. 1 by the WBA in the superflyweight division and held the interim title for six months but couldn’t get a crack at the crown until Thailand’s Tepparith Kokietgym came along to end his unbeaten streak last year. If the Rigondeaux fight pushes through, Francisco will finally figure in a world title bout. Francisco is now ranked No. 6 by the WBA in the 115-pound division and will be moved to the superbantamweight to confirm his eligibility as Rigondeaux’ challenger. The No. 1 contender’s spot in the WBA is vacant as there is no official mandatory challenger for the Cuban.

Rigondeaux has an 11-0 record, with 8 KOs compared to Francisco’s 23-1-1, with 18 KOs. Last September, the Cuban outpointed Robert Marroquin to retain his WBA crown in Las Vegas.