Underdog Boxing: What Drian should learn from his 1st loss

Losing sucks, specially in boxing. A loss in basketball means practically nothing as long as you have more won games than losses. In the NBA playoffs, three losses won’t matter as long as you have four wins. In billiards, you can lose one match and still win the title if you rack up wins from the loser’s bracket. A loss in boxing stings for a very long time. Drian Francisco is still beating himself up for his loss to Tepparith Singwancha last Sunday. I was with him from the night before the weigh in to the early morning a day after he lost. Francisco tried to mask his sadness with smiles but deep inside I could see pain in his eyes; not physical pain from taking punches but emotional and mental pain. “I did not think that Tepparith will be the kind of fighter to defeat me," Francisco told me, “I have fought far more dangerous opponents." It has not sunk in completely yet for Francisco. But he soon has to realize that his unblemished record is gone. His interim WBA title and the big-money fights that came along with it are also gone. The sooner he accepts that, the better it will be for him. There are certain things that Francisco can learn from this defeat and the first is not to take anyone lightly. “I think Duangpetch (Kokietgym) is a tougher opponent than Tepparith," Francisco told me a few weeks before the fight. If you look at their records, it seems true. Duangpetch had over 50 wins while Tepparith did not even have 20 fights. After reading my post about the then-upcoming match between Francisco and Singwancha, a friend from Bangkok, Loriel Macalma, sent me a message. He said “I think this will be a lot tougher bout than the last one. Tepparith is faster, more skillful, and a harder puncher than Duangpetch." He warned me that this fight will be difficult for Francisco. The lesson for the day is not to take anyone lightly. Francisco’s style has not changed much in his past few fights and his opponents are taking time and effort to study what he does. He should spend more time and effort in expanding his game. His talent may have been enough to get him the WBA interim title but it will take much more if he wants to be a true world champion. Francisco’s talent is undeniable and his heart is unquestionable. What he needs to change is his mindset. No opponent is easy. Every fighter must assume that his opponent knows everything about him. You need to break down the opponent’s game and devise plans that revolve around your strengths against his weaknesses. It is also a good idea to hire a conditioning coach and a nutritionist to help him keep his body in top condition. 20-1-1 is not a bad record to have by any stretch. Francisco should let his body heal and buckle down to business as soon as possible. - GMA News