Francis Defeats Beltran

It's the oldest story in the sport, one man rises up, he's fresher, younger, and his foe no longer has youthful zest on his side. The Saturday, July 9 ProBox TV main event at the ProBox Events Center in Plant City, Florida repeated this pattern. Junior welterweight Cesar Francis took role of the climbing talent and Ray Beltran that of the proud campaigner knowing his finish line is near.

After ten rounds, the judges had the final say: 95-94, 96-93, 98-91...for Francis. The wider card seemed to fit the feelings of the fans, and no, Beltran didn't protest, he knew the younger gun deserved the triumph.

Francis (born in Panama, out of Flatbush, Brooklyn) entered with a 10-0 record. The ex lightweight champion Beltran, from Sinaloa, Mexico, came in at 37-9-1. He left with another L, but with the knowledge he could still do this grind.

In the first, the 31 year old Francis boxed smart, worked the jab. Beltran started slow, but came out feisty in the second. Francis succeeded with one twos, straight shooting, and Beltran had some luck slipping inside and whacking the body. The right cross came sharp from Francis, he had found his weapon of choice. In the third, Francis moved, jabbed, launched a right counter to slow up the 41 year old Beltran..his ring generalship on point. Beltran switched it up, let Francis come to him later in the round, yet finished pressing.

In the fourth, Francis kept on that jab, and the movement; he'd feint, slide, pop a jab, he had command of the ring. He mostly moved left, away from a potential left hook connect. And then down went Beltran, end of the round, off a right uppercut.

Beltran looked a bit worried in the fifth as moved but then he slipped and ducked, not caught in a corner, and you marveled at his guile. Francis seemed in complete control.

Beltran looked a bit worried in the fifth as moved but then he slipped and ducked, not caught in a corner, and you marveled at his guile. Francis seemed in complete control.

In the sixth, Francis bounced on his feet as he waited for the round to start. He went out and stayed disciplined, moving and jabbing, jabbing and moving. In the seventh, more of the same from Francis, why fix it if it's working so well? In the eighth, Beltran did well with his aggression, Francis didn't have the same energy as in prior rounds. Then he perked up, his right hand cut the left eye of the Mexican. In the ninth, a counter right lightly buzzed Beltran, but he retains a championship-level reservoir of grittiness. To the tenth--Beltran stayed in Francis' grill, while the New Yorker stayed wise and didn't get caught with anything. The cards were then tallied.

Hefty Harper Upsets Tall Thun

Christian Thun (278 lbs) is a 30 year old heavyweight from Germany, living in Miami. Plenty of folks assumed portly Curtis Harper (13-9; 262 lbs), a Florida native living in Tennessee, would be roadkill in a heavyweight scrap set for 8 or fewer. Harper, though, reminded you about books and covers. He yanked Thun into the deep end of the pool, and handed him a weighed life preserver.

Harper had knocked Thun to the mat in the third, and had high hopes as he waited for the cards to be read. The not-so-svelte athlete got rewarded; one judge saw a draw (75-75), but the other two liked Harper, by scores of 78-72, 77-73.

Harper achieved internet immortality when he jetted from the ring before his 2018 fight against Efe Ajagba was to start. Then 13-6, Harper stood across from the 2016 Nigerian Olympian, then 6-0. He jetted before the action commenced. Harper didn’t fight for almost three years. He had one bout in 2021, and one in 2022, going the 8 round distance in losing to 11-0 Brandon Moore before meeting tall Thun.

The 6-9 Thun and the 6-2 Harper got chippy right away, then things settled. Thun aka "The Hurricane" tried to land nasty one, and Harper slipped and held to minimize contact early. A couple right counters from Harper, and then a left hook, definitely got Thun's attention in the second.

In the third a right dropped Thun. Harper had been eyeing him and then pounced. Thun cleared his head, but was helped by Harper dropping his mouthpiece, twice.

In round four, Harper got tired, and went lefty. His output wasn't as copious, and he ate a couple clean rights. In the fifth, Harper tried pot-shotting, a couple rounds before he'd figured out the timing of Thun. He planted one, a right, but Thun shrugged it off, though the crowd buzzed. The TN man took it to Thun to end the round. In round six, Thun looked to clinch a good amount, his stamina was being tested. To the seventh--a right wobbled Thun off the bat. Then he had a point taken from him. Thun wanted extra air now, the jelly-bellied Harper seemed to have as much in the tank as he did. In the eighth, Harper looked fresher, he moved more and finished strong. Now, he hoped that his "B side" stature wouldn't be subconsciously held against him.