Two of Philippine boxing’s most promising fighters won their respective bouts in Mexico on Saturday night, setting up a shot at a world title in their division.
Drian “Gintong Kamao” (Golden Fist) Francisco (23-1-1, 18 KOs) obliterated his Mexican opponent, Jose Carlos Vargas (12-6-1) at the Estadio Hector Espino in Sonora, Mexico, dropping him three times en route to a 1st round knockout victory. Francisco told this scribe that he will be challenging for the IBF super bantamweight title after this fight, as promised to him by the IBF .
??The win was huge step in his bid to become a world champion. That night, Francisco showed the world why he?s dubbed as the “Golden Fists,” Francisco’s manager Elmer Anuran told tukayo Dennis Eroa of Philboxing.com.
Meanwhile, WBC Silver minimumweight champion Denver “The Excitement” Cuello (32-4-6, 21 KOs) overcame adversity in the form of a shoulder injury to upend his Mexican opponent Ivan Meneses (18-10-1) at the Auditorio del Bicentenario in Michoac?n de Ocampo, Mexico. Cuello, who promised a KO win prior to the fight, had to settle for a unanimous decision win, as he secured a title fight with the winner of the WBC minimumweight title fight in China on Oct. 27 between Xiong Zhao Zong and Javier Martinez.
Video: Drian Francisco Career Updates
?I could hardly use my right arm since the third round. I had a bad sprain and my right shoulder was badly swelling. I was basically a one handed fighter from round three and up,” Cuello told dSourceBoxing.com correspondent Chito Katangkatang. “The cut got worse because of several headbutts which were untintentional. I couldn?t use my right hand and I couldn?t see perfectly. I just won the fight like a chess game. I can?t stand toe to toe with Meneses because of the injury,? he added.
