By Jake Donovan
For the third time in 10 months, Joshua Franco and Oscar Negrete wlll find themselves in a familiar place once the opening bell sounds—standing across the ring from one another.
The all-too familiar rivals collide for a third straight time, the latest coming Saturday evening at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie, Tex. The bout serves as the chief support to a DAZN-streamed card headlined by local unbeaten contender Vergil Ortiz (13-0, 13KOs) who faces former 140-pound title challenger Antonio Orozco (28-1-1, 17KOs).
“Their first two fights were incredible, and everyone agrees that this third fight has a great chance to steal the show,” Eric Gomez, vice president of Golden Boy Promotions insisted of the bantamweight heat.
Each of the first two fights were coin-flip affairs, naturally with each combatant believing they deserved to have won both contests. The first fight, which took place last October in Costa Mesa, Calif., ended in a 10-round draw, with both boxers claiming a 96-94 verdict on opposing cards with the third judge offering a 95-95 card to declare a stalemate.
Franco prevailed in the rematch this past April, this time with the scores all over the place but with the San Antonio (Tex.) native claiming a spit decision win in Indio, Calif.
Neither outcome sat particularly well with the one participant still without an official win in the series.
“These two fights were very good fights, very emotional and I believe I won both of them,” insists Colombia’s Negrete (18-2-1, 7KOs), whose stock soared from the two fights yet remains without a win since last July. “I'm here to prove that I'm the better fighter and ready to win for real this time and win that title.
“I've trained harder, prepared better than I was for the first two fights. I hope Joshua Franco did the same because I'm ready to go on Saturday.”
That won’t at all be a concern.
“I think I won the first one, I definitely won the second one,” insists Franco (15-1-1, 7KOs), who fights in his home state for the first time in more than two years. “This time, it's going to be even worse for him.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
