Former interim WBA Featherweight Champion Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (22-0, 16 KOs) says after destroying his next opponent, Cuban featherweight Luis “La Estrella” Franco (11-1, 7 KOs), he would consider moving up in weight and setting his sights on another Cuban fighter, Yuriorkis Gamboa.
“I have a lot of respect for Franco for having the courage to face me, but I’m going to do to him just like I did with Yuandale Evans (TKO 1) and Cristobal Cruz (TKO 2) and Miguel Zamudio (KO 1). It will end the same say. Viewers will love it. I understand to be successful in boxing, you have to be very aggressive and that’s what I plan to be.”
Fortuna has made up his mind. The fight with Franco is contracted at 128 lbs. and immediately after, he will look to challenge another Cuban fighter, multi-world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa at 130 lbs.
“I leave it to my promoter Sampson Lewkowicz to get the fight done, but that’s who I want to knock out after Franco. Hopefully Gamboa will have the same courage to face me as Franco.
Fortuna says he’s not sure exactly how Franco will fall, only that he will most certainly fall.
“Franco is tough with a lot of experience. He’ll try to move away from me in the first few rounds. That’s what I expect. He will try anything to avoid me. My job will be to not let him past the third round. And I plan on doing my job.”
The explosive Fortuna will meet Franco in the ESPN Friday Night Fights-televised 10-round main event of a night of world-class boxing, presented by Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing and Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing (in association with Tony Holden Productions and the Buffalo Run Casino) on Friday, August 2, at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma.
In the televised 10-round welterweight co-main event, former world champion Kermit “El Asesino” Cintron (33-5-2, 28 KOs) will take on tough Dominican Jonathan Batista (14-1, 7 KOs).
