Is Drian Francisco really extra-special that he makes highly-rated guys like Ricardo Nu?ez of Panama look very ordinary?
The unbeaten Francisco flattened Nu?ez with a left hook in the fifth round of their World Boxing Association (WBA) super-flyweight title eliminator Saturday night in Pasig after nearly chopping his head off in the first round.
Nu?ez climbed the ring rated first and second respectively by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and the World Boxing Association (WBA) but he displayed moves that were not characteristics of somebody armed with such lofty ranking, something that may give ringsiders proof that the alphabet sanctioning bodies have really been toying with their ratings to favor some fighters.
During the post-fight press conference, a well-dressed Panamanian who identified himself as Carlos Gonzalez, defended the hoopla that surrounded Nu?ez’s sparkling credentials, stressing that his compatriot is a legitimate top contender.
?I just want to make sure that the Filipino people know that Drian Francisco is a great boxer, the real deal,? said Gonzalez, who turned out to be a boxing agent.
?The thing is, he (Francisco) makes his opponents look (so) easy (to beat) that probably you can question.
But let me tell you something, his past opponent (Panamanian) Roberto Vazquez. Two-time world champion had defended more than seven times and I have seen Nu?ez fight since he was an amateur and he is a stylist but you cannot take credit away from Drian.?
Francisco’s overly-excited manager, Elmer Anuran also echoed Gonzalez’s views, saying Nu?ez got caught early and that the South American never recovered from the punch that knocked him down for the first time early in the first round.
?Sobrang lakas ang tama in the first round and I think kahit sinong boksingero after taking that shot, wala na. Nasira agad (si Nu?ez),? said Anuran, who revealed that the next step is a world title shot against the winner of the May 8 fight between Japanese champion Nobuo Nashiro and Mexican Hugo Cazares.
Nu?ez tried his best to stay vertical in the next three rounds after his near annihilation in the first round, throwing punches to the head and body of Francisco but with his head staying upright like a cadet that the Filipino struck as though it was a palayok, the earthen jar that kids play with during fiesta celebrations.
