Underdog Boxing: Drian Francisco to defend his interim title on foreign soil

He won his interim WBA super flyweight title there and on May 1 he will go back to defend it. Late last year, Drian Francisco had his first fight outside the Philippines. He flew all the way to Thailand in the hopes of getting an interim world title. He battled flu in the days before the fight but he persevered to win via 10th round TKO over Duangpetch Kokietgym. The people of Thailand were smitten by the unorthodox Francisco and they want to see him again. In fact, they like him so much that they are offering Francisco a purse that is the highest even to be given to any boxer for a fight in Thailand. This time he will be going up against Tepparith Singwangcha, a fighter with a record of 15 wins, and two losses. Ten of those wins came via the short route. Francisco learned a lot from his first fight in Thailand. He learned that fighting under the sweltering heat of the sun drains him faster. He also learned that if he goes with the cars provided by the Thai promoters, a 15-minute drive to the gym may end up being an hour drive. Elmer Anuran, Francisco’s manager, has spent hours and hours in planning the trip to Thailand. He has spared no expense as he turned down all the offers of free lodging and free rides by the Thai promoters. He is not going to put Francisco’s chances of winning in jeopardy by being lax. Francisco has also stepped up his training. To prepare himself for the extreme heat in Thailand (the fight will be around noontime) he spars outside their gym in Agoncillo, Batangas under the wicked summer sun. “It’s really hard because I can feel my feet burning," Francisco said, “but it’s good for me because if I can get through this, the fight will be much easier." Taking a fight in Thailand was not a part of the original plan. After his big win last November, Francisco should have been given a shot at the world title currently held by Hugo Cazares. However, the Mexican claims that he is injured and won’t be able to fight until June. “Cazares’ team did that to freeze Drian; they want t him to have ring rust by the time they face each other but I’m not going to let that happen," said Anuran. This is a risky fight for Francisco as a defeat will derail the match against Cazares but he is confident. “I think Duangpetch is a better fighter than Tepparith but I’m not taking him lightly. I’ve prepared hard for this fight," Francisco shared. There’s a lot riding in the able shoulders of Francisco. He is one of only a handful of Filipino fighters who are world-caliber. He has big dreams of being a multi-division champion like Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire but he is smart enough to focus only at the task at hand. “I hope the people support me. I will fight one week before Manny Pacquiao and like him, I am also fighting for our country," Francisco said. -- OMG, GMA News