Joshua Franco’s Journey from San Antonio to World Champ

Published

4 years ago

July 10, 2020

Joshua Franco’s Journey from San Antonio to World Champ

Texas native Joshua “El Professor” Franco captured the WBA super flyweight title after a rugged five-year journey with a studious approach not meant for the weak-minded.

“It’s a great feeling. I’m blessed to have a world title and I’m blessed to finally getting that support,” said Franco.

Under the umbrella of the coronavirus pandemic Franco (17-1-2) ventured to Las Vegas and stripped the WBA title from Australia’s Andrew Moloney (21-1) with a unanimous decision win. It capped an adventurous road filled with bloody wars, draws and a loss.

But on June 23, referee Tony Weeks raised the hand of Franco who was better prepared for yet another war against an undefeated fighter.

Ring toughness has become a staple for at least one California-based promotion company.

“I give a lot of credit to Roberto Diaz for the matchmaking and the way he brought Franco along. He was matched pretty tough,” said Eric Gomez, president of Golden Boy Promotions. “He has a loss and a couple of draws, but I think that’s the reason he won the fight.”

It was a long-planned strategy for the San Antonio fighter who arrived in 2015 along with fellow gym buddy Hector Tanajara. Super flyweights seldom get noticed by boxing fans. But even as an amateur, experts saw something in Franco.

Robert Garcia spotted the two San Antonio fighters who were amateurs. After looking at videos the pair were signed by the former super featherweight world champion as a manager and trainer.

“We fought in a PAL tournament in Oxnard. He had asked me for videos. After they saw it we started talking. It didn’t take too long. Robert was talking to promoters about me and Hector. That’s how it started,” said Franco about his signing with Garcia.

Golden Boy Promotions was called and the fighters met with the Los Angeles-based group to discuss strategy.

“It’s a great feeling to have a plan and sit down together with the fighter and his team to make them champions,” said Gomez about their initial meetings with Franco and his management. “Hopefully they become stars and move on to even better fights, unification fights. Move up in weight. It’s a great feeling building something together.”

From the start the heady Franco was matched tough in small shows in downtown Los Angeles. The Belasco Theater was the site for many of his early excursions into the pro world.

“Coming out of amateurs I had to adjust to having different smaller gloves. But I was sparring with Carlos Cuadras, Abner Mares when I had only one or two pro fights,” said Franco about his early days as a professional. “Sparring with them really helped me a lot and gave me a lot of experience. They are world champions and I’m very blessed to have had that.”

Unlike most young pros Franco’s fights were televised and seen throughout the Southwest region including his home state Texas.

“It was a blessing to be able to fight on Estrella TV, to get that exposure as a super flyweight it was a blessing. We don’t get that kind of exposure in Texas. But everyone in San Antonio they were watching supporting me and Hector. It’s a good feeling to have everyone’s support.”

Defining Moment

One battle in particular boosted his confidence and it took place in Texas.

“It was in Dallas I had fought Bryan Bazan on the Canelo-Liam Smith undercard. That was the first time I had really felt real power and that somebody could pop. I don’t know what happened in that fight but something inside me turned a switch on. I started letting my hands go, everything started coming naturally and I got a really big knockout on that card and that’s how I started getting exposure,” said Franco about his pivotal fight on September 2016. “That’s the fight that really made me bite down and show everything that I had – my distance, my jab, my power, it opened up people’s eyes as well.”

Franco would proceed to open more eyes with three brutal clashes in a year’s span against Oscar Negrete that resulted in two draws and one victory. Television audiences and those in attendance were mesmerized by the violent exchanges.

When the coronavirus pandemic shut down boxing for several months promoters were left scrambling for available talent. Top Rank was the first to open up the door for American prizefighting and invited Franco to one of their cards.

“Carl Moretti reached out and I have a great relationship with him and he reached out and he offered a couple of fights and one of them was the Franco fight and we accepted it,” said Gomez about the offer from Moretti, the vice president of Operations for Top Rank.

Franco said he received notice seven weeks in advance.

“When my dad called, right away I said, let’s do it. I’m ready. Let’s go for it,” said Franco about receiving news of the title bid. “I got my flight out the next day and then I was back in Riverside.”

Fighting in Las Vegas under the new protocols was an experience for Franco, but once inside the boxing ring everything fell into place.

Moloney was fighting for the first time as the WBA titlist and was undefeated with 14 knockouts in 21 fights. Though Las Vegas odds-makers favored the champion from Australia, smart money saw Franco’s experience as a major obstacle. They were correct.

Franco was able to weather the early storm by Moloney who attempted to power through the American fighter’s defense. But early on it was apparent that the San Antonio native’s experience against elite boxers in sparring and in actual fights was proving too perplexing for the Aussie.

An 11^th round knockdown finalized the tilt toward Franco’s favor. All three judges scored it for Franco but closer than expected after the impressive performance.

“He was different from (Oscar) Negrete that’s for sure. I kind of expected more from him. I really didn’t see anything special about him,” said Franco about Moloney. “I know he had a world title and I was just there to take it from him.”

Social media erupted with news of Franco’s win for the world title.

“It shows when you’re dedicated and work hard you can definitely reach your goals and dreams,” said multi-division world champion Mikey Garcia on social media. “Now he’s a world champ.”

The plaudits did not stop there.

“After the fight Robert Diaz and Oscar De La Hoya both messaged me and said great job. Oscar told me to enjoy yourself responsibly and get ready for the next one to defend the title. That was some motivation from De La Hoya. I know I made everyone proud at Golden Boy. I brought them back a world title and that’s a good feeling,” says Franco.

A rematch clause will be respected and both will meet again in the boxing ring.

“He had a rematch clause before we signed the fight and hopefully we get to do it again. I don’t see it going the distance this time,” said Franco citing his experience and resume in the recent past including wars against Negrete and others.

His promoters agree.

“He’s been in some tough fights. I’m very happy and proud of Joshua Franco,” said Gomez adding that the rugged journey was meant for a reason. “When you have those tough fights it only makes you better.”

Now Franco has the WBA super flyweight world title.

Photo credit: Mikey Williams for Top Rank

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David A. Avila

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WBA Feather Champ Nick Ball Chops Down Rugged Ronny Rios in Liverpool

Published

58 mins ago

October 5, 2024

Arne K. Lang

WBA-Feather-Champ-Nick-Ball-Chops-Down-Rugged-Ronny-Rios-in-Liverpool

In his first fight in his native Liverpool since February of 2020, Nick Ball successfully defended his WBA title with a 10^th-round stoppage of SoCal veteran Ronny Rios. The five-foot-two “Wrecking Ball” was making the first defense of a world featherweight strap he won in his second stab at it, taking the belt from Raymond Ford on a split decision after previously fighting Rey Vargas to a draw in a match that many thought Ball had won.

This fight looked like it was going to be over early. Ball strafed Rios with an assortment of punches in the first two rounds, and likely came within a punch or two of ending the match in the third when he put Rios on the canvas with a short left hook and then tore after him relentlessly. But Rios, a glutton for punishment, weathered the storm and actually had some good moments in round four and five.

The brother of welterweight contender Alexis Rocha and a two-time world title challenger at 122 pounds, Rios was making his second start since returning to the ring in April on a ProBox card in Florida after being out of the ring for 28 months. He would be on the canvas twice more before the bout was halted. The punch that knocked him off his pins in round seven wasn’t a clean shot, but he would be in dire straits three rounds later when he was hammered onto the ring apron with a barrage of punches. He managed to maneuver his way back into the ring, but his corner sensibly threw in the towel when it seemed as if referee Bob Williams would let the match continue.

The official time was 2:06 of round ten. Ball improved to 21-0-1 (12 KOs). Rios, 34, declined to 34-5.

Semi-wind-up

A bout contested for a multiplicity of regional 140-pound titles produced a mild upset when Jack Rafferty wore down and eventually stopped Henry Turner whose corner pulled him out after the ninth frame.

Both fighters were undefeated coming in. Turner, now 13-1, was the better boxer and had the best of the early rounds. However, he used up a lot of energy moving side-to-side as he fought off his back foot, and Rafferty, who improved to 24-0 (15 KOs), never wavered as he continued to press forward.

The tide turned dramatically in round eight. One could see Turner’s legs getting loggy and the confidence draining from his face. The ninth round was all Rafferty. Turner was a cooked goose when Rafferty collapsed him with four unanswered body punches, but he made it to the final bell before his corner wisely pulled him out. Through the completed rounds, two of the judges had it even and the third had the vanquished Turner up by 4 points.

Other Bouts of Note

In a lightweight affair, Jadier Herrera, a highly-touted 22-year-old Cuban who had been campaigning in Dubai, advanced to 16-0 (14 KOs) with a third-round stoppage of Oliver Flores (31-6-2) a Nicaraguan southpaw making his UK debut. After two even rounds, Herrera put Flores on the deck with a left to the solar plexus. Flores spit out his mouthpiece as he lay there in obvious distress and referee Steve Gray waived the fight off as he was attempting to rise. The end came 30 seconds into round three.

In a bantamweight contest slated for 10, Liverpool’s Andrew Cain (13-1, 12 KOs) dismissed Colombia’s Lazaro Casseres at the 1:48 mark of the second round.

A stablemate and sparring partner of Nick Ball, Cain knocked Casseres to the canvas in the second round with a short uppercut and forced the stoppage later in the round when he knocked the Colombian into the ropes with a double left hook. Casseres. 27, brought an 11-1 record but had defeated only two opponents with winning records.

In a contest between super welterweights, Walter Fury pitched a 4-round shutout over Dale Arrowsmith. This was the second pro fight for the 27-year-old Fury who had his famous cousin Tyson Fury rooting him on from ringside. Stylistically, Walter resembles Tyson, but his defense is hardly as tight; he was clipped a few times.

Arrowsmith is a weekend warrior and a professional loser, a species indigenous to the British Isles. This was his twenty-fourth fight this year and his 186^th pro fight overall! His record is “illuminated” by nine wins and 10 draws.

A Queensberry Promotion, the Ball vs Rios card aired in the UK on TNT Sports and in the US on ESPN+.

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Alimkhanuly TKOs Mikhailovich and Motu TKOs O’Connell in Sydney

Published

1 day ago

October 4, 2024

Arne K. Lang

Alimkhanuly-TKOs-Mikhailovich-and-Motu-TKOs-O'Connell-in-Sydney

IBF/WBO world middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, generally regarded as the best of the current crop of middleweights, retained his IBF title today in Sydney, Australia, with a ninth-round stoppage of game but overmatched Andrei Mikhailovich. The end came at the 2:45 mark of round nine.

Favored in the 8/1 range although he was in a hostile environment, Alimkhanuly (16-0, 11 KOs) beat Mikhailovich to a pulp in the second round and knocked him down with one second remaining in the frame, but Mikhailovich survived the onslaught and had several good moments in the ensuing rounds as he pressed the action. However, Alimkhanuly’s punches were cleaner and one could sense that it was only a matter of time before the referee would rescue Mikhailovich from further punishment. When a short left deposited Mikhailovich on the seat of his pants on the lower strand of rope, the ref had seen enough.

Alimkhanuly, a 2016 Olympian for Kazakhstan, was making his first start since October of last year. He and Mikhailovich were slated to fight in Las Vegas in July, but the bout fell apart after the weigh-in when the Kazakh fainted from dehydration.

Owing to a technicality, Alimkhanuly’s WBO belt wasn’t at stake today. Although he has expressed an interest in unifying the title –Eislandy Lara (WBA) and Carlos Adames (WBC) are the other middleweight belt-holders — Alimkhanuly is big for the weight class and it’s a fair assumption that this was his final fight at 160.

The brave Mikhailovich, who was born in Russia but grew up in New Zealand after he and his twin brother were adopted, suffered his first pro loss, declining to 21-1.

Semi-wind-up

Topping the flimsy undercard was a scheduled 8-rounder between Mikhailovich’s stablemate Mea Motu, a 34-year-old Maori, and veteran Australian campaigner Shannon O’Connell, 41. The ladies share eight children between them (Motu, trained by her mother in her amateur days, has five).

A clash of heads in the opening round left O’Connell with a bad gash on her forehead. She had a big lump developing over her right eye when her corner threw in the towel at the 1:06 mark of round four.

Motu (20-0, 8 KOs) was set to challenge IBF/WBO world featherweight champion Ellie Scotney later this month in Manchester, England, underneath Catterall-Prograis, but that match was postponed when Scotney suffered an injury in training. Motu took this fight, which was contested at the catchweight of 125 pounds, to stay busy. O’Connell, 29-8-1, previously had a cup of coffee as a WBA world champion (haven’t we all).

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 299: Golden Boy in Saudi Arabia and More

Published

2 days ago

October 3, 2024

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 299: Golden Boy in Saudi Arabia and More

A small brigade of Mexican and Latino-American fighters gathered at the beautiful Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Their mission: to export Mexican style fighting to the Saudi Arabia desert.

Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez defends the WBA cruiserweight title against WBO cruiserweight titlist Chris Billam-Smith and they will be joined by several other top Golden Boy Promotion fighters on Nov. 16 at the Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

DAZN will stream the Golden Boy and BOXXER promotions card called “The Venue Riyadh Season.”

Mexican fighters are known worldwide for their ferocity and durability. Ramirez, a former super middleweight champion, surprised many with his convincing win over former champion Arsen Goulamirian last March.

Now Ramirez seeks to unify the cruiserweight titles against United Kingdom’s Smith who has never fought outside of his native country.

“I will become the first Mexican cruiserweight unified champion. It’s exciting because my dream will come true this November 16,” said Ramirez.

Smith has a similar goal.

“This opportunity for me is huge,” said Smith. “I’ve been written off many times before.”

The cruiserweights will be joined by two top super lightweight warriors who’ve been itching to face each other like a pair of fighting roosters.

Arnold Barboza, an undefeated super lightweight contender from Los Angeles, has been chasing top contenders and world champions for the past six years. Former super lightweight champion Jose Ramirez simply wants action and a return to elite status.

“I’ve been wanting this fight since 2019 for whatever reason it never happened,” said Barboza. “I want to give credit and thanks to Oscar, he’s a man of his word. When I signed to Golden Boy, he said he was going to give me this fight.”

“It’s honorable Barboza saying he’s been chasing the fight since 2019. Now that he stands in the way for me to reclaim my titles it’s time to get that fight on,” said Ramirez.

Others on the Riyadh fight card include Puerto Rico’s WBO minimumweight world titlist Oscar Collazo defending against Thailand’s Thammanoon Niyomtrong, along with Oscar Duarte and lightweight contenders William Zepeda and Tevin Farmer.

One fighter missing from the card is Charles Conwell, the super welterweight contender they recently signed earlier in the year. He last performed on the Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Serhii Bohachuk clash in Las Vegas.

Conwell has similar talent to those two.

And what about the women fighters”

Yokasta Valle recently re-signed with Golden Boy Promotions. What is her next scheduled fight? She was spotted facing up against Australia’s Lulu “Bang, Bang” Hawton at a fight card. Is that on the horizon?

West Coast venues

Speaking of the Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles, its just a few buildings north of the Belasco Theater where Golden Boy was staging its club shows for several years.

A majority of the boxing media favored that location for its cozy atmosphere and proximity to LA Live. A number of prospects that developed into contenders and world champions fought there including Vergil Ortiz Jr., Ryan Garcia, Joshua Franco, and Oscar Duarte.

On any given fight night celebrities like Mario Lopez, George Lopez and others would show up in the small venue that held several hundred fans in its ornate theater setting.

The Mayan Theater and Belasco Theater are still open for business. According to one source, LA Laker owner Jeannie Buss stages a pro wrestling show at one of those theaters.

World title fight

England’s Nick Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) defends the WBA featherweight world title against Southern California’s Ronny Rios (34-4, 17 KOs) on Saturday Oct. 5, at M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England. Starting time for the Queensberry and Top Rank promotion card is 11 a.m. PT.

Ball was last seen nearly toppling WBC featherweight titlist Rey Vargas but lost last March. He then defeated Ray Ford for the WBA title

Fights to Watch

Fri. ESPN+ 2 a.m. PT Janibek Alimkhanuly (15-0) vs Andrei Mikhailovich (21-0)

Sat. ESPN+ 11 a.m. PT Nick Ball (20-0-1) vs Ronny Rios (34-4)

Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy

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