BANGKOK?Drian Francisco?s fists delivered the knockout that the boxer hopes will set him up for a title fight?while praying that nothing serious befell his fallen foe.
Francisco turned favored Thai fighter Duangpetch Kokietgym into a punching bag en route to a stunning 10th round knockout that gave the Filipino the WBA interim super flyweight title.
Up next for ?The Golden Fists? is a possible showdown against WBA king Hugo ?El Incredible? Cazares.
?I told myself that either I?ll knock him out or I?ll go down fighting,? said the prized fighter from Touch Gloves Boxing Gym, who decked his Thai opponent with three cracking punches to the face, including a killer upper cut.
?This is not just a victory for myself, but a win for the Philippines,? said Francisco. ?I would like to express my sincerest thanks for all the prayers.?
Francisco improved his unblemished record to 20 wins, including 16 KOs. He was, however, concerned about his foe.
The predominantly Thai crowd, including top politicians and business leaders, watched in disbelief as Kokietgym, eyes closed, laid on the floor for several minutes unable to move. Following the advice of the ring doctor, the fallen Thai pug was laid in a stretcher and whisked to a nearby hospital.
?I feel sorry for him. Before the bout, our team prayed that nobody gets injured. I wish Duangpetch well,? said Francisco, who received a congratulatory call from Vice President Jejomar Binay. Team Francisco, headed by Saved by the Bell Promotions president Elmer Anuran, will pay a courtesy visit to Binay on Dec. 3.
?Thai promoter Kokietgym has already sounded his intention to offer Drian a new fight, But we are going to study all our options,? said Anuran. ?We want to savor this victory first.?
Both fighters mixed it up right at the opening bell on top of a makeshift ring inside an open football field arena at the Bungkan School to the delight of a predominantly Thai crowd which roared in approval whenever Kokietgym tagged Francisco with body shots.
But, Francisco silenced the fans with his ring savvy, using stinging upper cuts and combinations.
