Fran Mendoza (now 17-1-0) did not return to Vitoria-Gasteiz with the belt representing the WBA Continental Super Bantamweight champion. This was his dream on Saturday, October 21 at the MS Bank Arena in the city of Mersey. But the left hand of McGrail, one of the great promises of British boxing, prevented him from doing so.
Mendoza put his hands up and shook the locals with his right hand, but McGrail threw more combinations and was more accurate. “We knew the kind of battle that awaited us and we prepared for it”, assures the Vitorian coach of Gimnasio Gasteiz, Andoni Alonso. “Fran may have been affected by the importance of the stage or the tension of the previous days,” Alonso said.
That possibility is possible, as Fran Mendoza stars in the semi-distance clash of an internationally televised event and a very high-level battle in the background. The boxer based in the capital of Alava also knows that victory will bring him closer to the option of a world qualifier.
“In any case, we gained a lot of experience, we analyzed what we got right and what we didn’t., and we learned. Now, we have to keep working hard to qualify for a new opportunity,” emphasized Mendoza’s coach at Gasteiz Gymnasium, Gabriel Sanz.
The boxer will rest for a few days before tackling a new round of training with the aim of presenting himself with all guarantees for his next fight at the beginning of 2024.
Another title for the Mendozas
On the other hand, Kato Mendoza, Fran’s older brother, although with a shorter career in professional boxing, is completing the preparatory phase in Vitoria-Gasteiz for the fight that awaits him in Alcalá de Guadaira (Seville) on th -4th of November. Kato will fight 10 rounds against Márquez with the WVC Latino Silver title in dispute.
Mendoza appears with 5 wins, one draw and one controversial loss since his professional debut less than two years ago. While Márquez would do it with 7 wins and one loss. “The size favors Márquez a priori, but we trust Kato’s strength and strategy,” Alonso advanced. “Kato and I ourselves do not want to give up the opportunity. And we are going for the title, which we hope will be the first of many,” he emphasizes.
Source: La Verdad
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