ANOTHER Filipino boxer will make an appearance on ESPN Friday Night Fights when Drian ‘Gintong Kamao’ Francisco squares off against Chris Avalos of California at the Texas Station Casino in Las Vegas on July 13, Saturday morning Philippine Time.
Francisco (24W-1L-1D, 19KOs) of Sablayan, Mindoro weighed in at 121.5.lbs while Avalos (21W-2L, 16KOs) checked in at 121.2 lbs during the official weigh-in held one day before the fight. They will tangle for the vacant WBO-North American Boxing Organization (NABO) super bantamweight title.
The 30 year-old Francisco is a former WBA interim super flyweight titlist. Last year, in his last two fights abroad, he knocked out Jose Carlos Vargas in one round in Mexico and scored a fifth round TKO win over Javier Gallo in California.
Francisco will try to avoid the bad luck that has hounded Filipino boxers in ESPN fight cards. Two years ago, Mark Jason Melligen lost to Sebastian Lujan of Argentina by ninth round TKO. Last June, Jundy Maraon was stopped in seven rounds by Juan Carlos Payano of the Dominican Republic.
The 23 year-old Avalos is a former WBO NABO bantamweight and WBO Intercontinental super bantamweight titlist. /Correspondent Rene Bonsubre Jr