Francisco wants to link up with GBP

MANILA, Philippines - Drian Francisco, the hard-hitting Filipino boxer, is knocking on the doors of Golden Boy.

His manager, Elmer Anuran, is hoping that the undefeated pride of Mindoro Occidental, fresh from a 10-round beating of Thai Duangpetch Kokiet-gym, could find his way to the Oscar dela Hoya stable.

“We’re hoping to get him to Golden Boy (Promotions). I will be flying to the United States this Thursday for this,” said Anuran during yesterday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s along United Nations Avenue.

Anuran said Francisco could be better off with Golden Boy because Manny Pacquiao, the pound-for-pound champion, and Nonito Donaire Jr., the other Filipino superstar, are already with Top Rank.

“Maybe Golden Boy will have more time with Drian,” he said.

Francisco won the WBA interim super-flyweight (115 lb) crown with a big knockout of Duangpetch last Tuesday in the Thai province of Nong Khai. It took the erstwhile undefeated Thai four hours to regain consciousness.

Anuran said Francisco is lined up to face Mexico’s Hugo Cazares on March 9, if the latter, the reigning WBA super-flyweight champion, gets past Japan’s Hiroyuki Hisataka in Osaka on Dec. 23.

“But if we get that fight, we’re hoping to push it to April so we can fight in the undercard of Manny Pacquiao’s next fight,” said Anuran.

He’s probably unaware that if he gets Francisco under Golden Boy, it could be impossible for him to land in the undercard of Pacquiao’s next fight on April 16 because it will be a Top Rank promotion.

Top Rank and Golden Boy are locked in a legal battle over Pacquiao’s recent fight earnings, and the court case could be one of the reasons why the superfight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather remains on hold.

“We don’t want to meddle in that,” said Anuran.

Francisco, who started boxing at 22 because he had to finish his college studies, said with or without Golden Boy, whether or not it’s for the Pacquiao undercard, he’s ready to take on Cazares for the world title.

“I know he’s a veteran fighter with a 60 percent knockout rate. But he’s a little slow so speed will be my biggest advantage. There’s nothing to change in my training but we need to double things up,” he said.

“He has 35 wins with six losses but all of those losses were during world title fights,” added Francisco, 20-0-1 with 16 KOs, of Cazares.

“I want to become the world champion,” he said.