Francisco overpowers Domingo in crossroads bout

Filipino bantamweight contender Drian Francisco avoided sending his career into a downward spin, pulling out a close but unanimous decision victory over compatriot Michael Domingo at the Makati Coliseum in Makati City on Friday night. All three judges saw the fight in favor of the Sablayan, Mindoro Occidental native Francisco (21-1-1, 16 knockouts)—96-93, 95-94 and 96-93. The 28-year-old Francisco, who now resides in Batangas, was coming off his lone career defeat to Thailand's Tepparith Singwancha in May, losing his interim WBA super flyweight title and a shot at then-champ Hugo Cazares in the process. Domingo, 42-16-3 (23 KOs), of Cebu City has lost two of his last three bouts following a nine-fight win streak. Both men weighed 120 pounds for the non-title affair, which was promoted by Saved by the Bell Promotions and made free to the public. — JVP, GMA News Ryan Songalia is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) and contributes to GMA News and the Filipino Reporter newspaper in New York City. He can be reached at ryan@ryansongalia.com . An archive of his work can be found at www.ryansongalia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @RyanSongalia.