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.
