I caught up with bantamweight contender Drian “Gintong Kamao” (Golden Fist) Francisco (23-1-1, 18 KOs) , who has an IBF title eliminator on November 17 in the undercard of Brian Viloria vs. Hernan “Tyson” Marquez at the LA Sports Arena, to talk about his progression in training with trainer Justin Fortune at the Fortune Gym in LA.
Francisco went straight to camp in LA immediately after his 1st round KO win over Jose Carlo Vargas in Mexico on Sept. 29. Training has gone well in LA for the 29-year-old, bloodying a sparring partner, and busting another’s ribs during last weeks sparring sessions.
Francisco also shared his thoughts with me regarding AJ Banal’s unfruitful title fight against Pungluang Sor Singyu in Manila last weekend. Francisco expressed his sadness over his countryman’s loss, but admitted that he feels the Thai’s fighting style is tailor-made for him.
“Unfortunately AJ (Banal), but I studied the Thailander’s (Sor Singyu) movements and said to myself that he is suited for my style,” Francisco told me over the phone Monday night. “He’s slow. He moves slow, he punches slow, and if you really look at his punches, they were just “Hail Mary” punches he was hoping to get lucky with and land,” added the Batange?o.
Video: Drian Francisco shares his opinions on AJ Banal’s loss to Sor Singyu
Francisco believes that Banal has the technical skills advantage over Sor Singyu, and should win in the event that a rematch can be made between the two. He also did observe some things that probably led to Banal’s demise in the latter rounds. “AJ’s problem was when he wasted a lot of energy bending with his knees, and did unnecessary motions,” stated Francisco, and added, “It’s hard if you’re trying to lift your opponent from the bottom without really having a punch behind it, your knees and legs will give out eventually; a lot of extra motion that didn’t have any use.”
Truth be told, Banal was indeed ahead in points in 2 of the 3 judges’ scorecards, and was controlling the fight until he succumbed in the championship rounds. Francisco aims to avoid suffering a similar fate, which is why he is killing himself in training with Fortune, who also happens to be Manny Pacquiao’s former strength and conditioning coach.
