Drian takes interim title, Kokietgym hospitalised

Francisco scores sixteenth career knockout

Unbeaten Filipino super-flyweight Drian Francisco picked up the interim WBA Super-Flyweight Title on Tuesday night with a tenth round TKO over Thailand’s Duangpetch Kokietgym in Nong Khai, Thailand.

Francisco, 28, has won 20 of his 21 contests, is yet to taste defeat in his five-year career and will gain the title vacated by Nonito Donaire, who fights this Saturday night after moving up to Bantamweight.

His next challenge will be against tough Mexican Hugo Fidel Cazares or Japan’s Hiroyuki Hisataka, who meet for the WBA Title on the 23rd of December in Osaka, Japan, with the bout scheduled for early spring.

His opponent had and impressive record of 52 wins in 54 bouts before the knockout, with the 30 year-old’s only loss being a knockout in his second contest thirteen years ago as a seventeen year-old.

Kokietgym was taken to hospital as a precaution after taking his time to regain consiousness. He was floored twice in the sixth round, before being caught with a sickening uppercut in the tenth round, which led the referee to stop the fight.

WBN Remembers: "Gypsy Boy" Ernie Smith

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor (picure by boxrec.com) After almost a year and a half without one of boxing’s great journeymen, World Boxing News is looking back at the 161-fight career of Worcestershire warrior Ernie Smith, concentrating on his contribution in the ring, rather than the tragic way his life ended out of it. Smith turned professional at super-featherweight in 1998 at the Park Hall Hotel in Wolverhampton, losing a six rounder against Welshman Woody Greenaway. One month later, Ernie was thrown in with an unknown prospect by the name of Gavin Rees (former world champion and current British Lightweight Champion) who he also took the distance over four rounds. The “Gypsy Boy” then managed to string together a four fight unbeaten run together in early 1999 and ended the year winning five out of his twelve contests, but by this time had already delved into the journeyman pool of boxers with a record of 5-8-1. After settling at the welterweight limit, Ernie ga...

Ashley Theophane talks US return, Ricky Burns sparring and future fights

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WBO #4 Orlando Cruz comes out as the first openly gay boxer in history

Orlando Cruz, a professional boxer from San Juan Puerto Rico (18-2-1, 9 KOs), former Olympian and currently ranked No. 4 Featherweight by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), is announcing today that he ”Is a proud gay man.” Cruz is the first openly gay man in boxing history. “I’ve been fighting for more than 24 years and as I continue my ascendant career, I want to be true to myself,” said Cruz. “I want to try to be the best role model I can be for kids who might look into boxing as a sport and a professional career. I have and will always be a proud Puerto Rican. I have always been and always will be a proud gay man.” Orlando Cruz began boxing at the age of 7 and posted an amateur career record of 178-11. He won 7 Puerto Rico National Title's and spent 4 years on The Puerto Rican National Team. Cruz won 7 Gold Medals, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze in various international tournaments. His amateur career culminated as a representative of the 2000 ...

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