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SportsTranscript
00:00Okay lads, six round contest. Keep it clean at all times, keep yourself protected at all times. Touch gloves, here we go. Good luck lads.
00:14So the long-awaited return of Joshua Francom. He has shown himself to be a proper handful but
00:20from the other corner Artyom Spatar has also looked a lively young one himself. Here we go
00:25at super welter. Big breakthrough for Josh Francom winning the showdown with fellow super
00:31welterweight prospect George Davey. Francom came through the test extremely well and he was tested.
00:37Now it's time to push on. Spatar three solid showings over the last three or four months
00:44here in April, in Liverpool a couple of weeks later and in Belfast in late June.
00:49And a very busy young man he is. He's only 20 years of age, 15th pro fight in a little over 18
00:57months. They are not giving the prospect so-called easy tests tonight Richie on this card. I think
01:02that's right and proper and Francom is apparently very wary that this could be a really testing job
01:10for him I understand. Well he's he's in against someone who's a bit of a mover, keeps the guard
01:15nice and high and it's a difficult guard to pierce. So Francom yeah he's just got to watch,
01:21that's it, that's lovely boxing there. You see behind that jab he's just got to
01:25set things up behind that and not and not get too frustrated Paul. Because obviously his opponent
01:31Spatar will just um he'll hope that Francom gets a little bit frustrated and starts making mistakes.
01:38So it's important that he sticks to his boxing, stays disciplined, breaks the guy down with a
01:43couple of body shots maybe. Yeah he's not bad is he Spata? Not bad at all, also it's six foot one
01:51Spata against the five foot eleven Francom and that word discipline that Richie threw on the
01:57table a moment ago is also relevant in this fight. There have been one or two little brushes
02:01with authority for Francom so far. He started this sensibly poor.
02:13He's obviously done his homework on his opponent here who yeah he's trying to make it difficult
02:18staying on the outside, elusive, hands nice and high, hard to actually nail him with a shot.
02:25So Francom's got to think about it a little bit. Yeah nice little shot there on the inside wasn't
02:29too far away and just keep working away with that jab and keep probing that that defense
02:35and wait for the opportunity then in the opening to land a good shot.
02:45This is tense pro fight tonight Joshua Francom.
02:49The potential is very obvious I think. Very natural style, very self-confident.
02:59He's been out of the ring member for 10 months as Joshua, sorry Francom, Josh Francom should I say.
03:14So he's just a bit of a scout in mission port in this first round just feeling the opponent out.
03:21This is always a sensible approach I think. Absolutely fair enough Richie I think.
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03:59In the Joshua Francom corner with Ian Weaver.
04:12Kind of gets pass marks for his return there that opening round
04:1510 months since the big showdown and the breakthrough in the eight round with George Davey.
04:20And in against a dangerous opponent tonight on his return Artyom Spartar from Estonia.
04:34Obviously naughty from Francom. I did mention and Richie threw the word on the table in the
04:42first round discipline. Yeah just a little bit over excited there was the on that break.
04:50I didn't see any malice in it. No that's all no it's literally the referee sort of said break and
04:54the elbows come up but then he just hit him as the referee said break and as you say there
04:58wasn't no malice there it's just a little bit of excitement and he just wants to get on with it so
05:03and the referee quite rightly so is giving Spartar a bit of time to recover.
05:14Basically he gets as long as he wants here doesn't he.
05:16Well he seemed to be all right right after the shot but now he's obviously a bit of a
05:22delayed reaction I suppose but this is a bit surprising isn't it. He might need the bucket.
05:31Look away now please if you are a little bit squeamish about such matters.
05:38Yeah like I said I thought he was obviously it was just a split second thing from
05:43Franken but he seemed okay right afterwards and then when the referee's obviously
05:49told him to go to the neutral corner then he's played on it a little bit
05:51and obviously a delayed reaction and he's not feeling too good.
06:01Of course on the book he could get up to five minutes.
06:04Yep so I think he'll be okay after two or three minutes four to be quite honest.
06:13All together an unsatisfactory start to this second round.
06:24Going back to Josh Franken's corner there Paul. Ian Weaver's in that corner. He used to box for
06:28GD Ian Weaver. He's a good little southpaw going he was in the Olympic cycle for 2012 in the London
06:34Olympics. It was Luke Campbell that got the place obviously went on to win the gold Luke Campbell
06:39but Ian Weaver pushed Luke Campbell for a while. Not a bad kid. Good southpaw. Must have been good.
06:44Yeah he was a good lad Ian Weaver. So after that very early halt to proceedings in the
06:49second round we go again it's a restart to round two for Josh Franken.
06:54If anything probably what Spartar has done here Paul he's just shown a little bit of a
07:09weakness downstairs because he wasn't too happy with that body shot was he so that might just
07:14encourage Franken just to set up a few body shots and already Spartar is keeping those gloves and
07:21those elbows tucked in. See that there you go so Franken looking for the odd shot downstairs.
07:34Tried it again there yeah.
07:39So he may have backfired on him a little bit. He's had a bit of time off to recover but
07:44he's shown his opponent a little bit of a weakness maybe downstairs.
07:52Josh and I was beginning to think the art of body punching was a lost art having been at the Olympic Games.
07:57Yeah absolutely yeah.
08:03Basically Franken is looking sharp. Always that question mark after a lengthy absence 10 months
08:11starting to build momentum. Yeah I think you're right Paul. I think obviously 10 months out of the
08:16ring he's had a look in that first round he's just feeling his way into this contest and just
08:22brushing off a few cobwebs here. Spartar now he's gone southpaw trying to make things awkward and
08:28again he is proving a difficult target to actually get to the hands are nice and high
08:34the elbows are tucked in and on that back foot hard to nail clean with the shot.
08:40Not been a lot coming back from Spartar in this second round nothing of consequence
08:49it's Franken really starting to look the part for me. Just fell short there with that right hand
08:56got to get the feet a little bit closer so it needs to work probably a little bit more with
08:59that lead and measuring that distance he's a little bit too far away there but sometimes that jab
09:04is not only a point score it's to measure the distance between yourself and your opponent
09:09and that's what Franken is doing here just measuring measuring before he lets that right
09:14hand go so sensibly using that lead hand just to close that gap down and then let the right hand go.
09:21So Franken got going in the second round Richie after this unexpected hiatus early in the round
09:44thanks to that after the break call but only just after the break call. Yeah it was actually a
09:48belting shot wasn't it Paul let's face it that's gone in there the referee has already said break
09:54it's literally on the break and he looked okay for a minute but then he obviously a delayed reaction
10:00and looking at that shot that was a clean punch into the solar plexus so I take it back
10:05he must have really felt that one
10:22kept Owen Lavin on his toes in a four-round rebelfast at the end of June did Spartar he's
10:28been on the radar for jobs like this for quite some time he met Stephen Clarke
10:33the amateur champion of 2023 in Liverpool in April Clarke didn't have it all one way in that
10:40fight same story with Sam King there's a draw in that one over four rounds here in April
10:47so little by little he's establishing himself against some of the better prospects
10:55in the United Kingdom and at this moment Franken certainly fits that bill
10:59I think we have a timeout yeah a little bit of holding and
11:04just holding the opponent swaying from side to side grabbing him but Paul towards the end of
11:10that last round I think Franken started to get into his rhythm and what he did he actually upped the
11:15tempo a little bit that last 20 seconds and I think he's that's how he started this round now
11:20he knows that a bit more pressure and often going through the gears a little bit then Spartar is
11:24just struggling a little bit too I think obviously Spartar prefers that slower pace
11:30but at the end of that last round Franken's learned from his successes there and he started
11:35this pretty quickly and straight away Spartar's holding a lot more and doesn't like the faster pace
11:43but great hands hasn't he Franken yes he's got good punch variation as well
11:49and he's just going through the gears again here just setting up behind that jab
11:53yeah he's letting his hands go and this is much better for him now took some good
11:57shots there did Spartar took them well enough Franken getting in the groove
12:13see Spartar opting to go south Paul again but his feet are too square Paul that's his problem there
12:19it's all right keep your hands up and elbow tucked in but the feet are square the body's
12:23sort of full your target area then full onto your opponent and that's why I think Franken's taking
12:29advantage of that to try and keep that good well-balanced stance when you switch from orthodox
12:36to south look how square he went there just gets away with it but his feet are all over the place
12:41and this is now playing into Franken's hands
12:44our colleague Matthew Boziat in Boxing News came out with a nice line a determined volume puncher
12:50Franken with a maniacal glint in his eye and a street fighter's mentality and we're starting
12:56to see that now it was a little bit Dickensian but very much on point that description
13:03yeah he's really getting into his rhythm now here's Josh Franken really going for it
13:09Josh Franken really going for it and this is testing now Spartar's actually conditioning
13:17he's getting caught with shots like I say he doesn't really know if he's orthodox also
13:22Paul and he keeps getting caught on the switch but Franken now he's really going to turn
13:27catching a lot of shots in this round isn't he Spartar round three
13:32and I think we can see the result of it it's all Franken
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14:09so
14:33they think they're well on top for what it's worth I think they're right
14:38good work tonight from Joshua Franken so far six round schedule against Artyem Spartar
14:45into the second half of this
14:52yeah good display at the moment from Josh Franken he's really increased the volume of shots going
14:58through the gears a little bit his opponent there again two square good body shot there
15:03from Franken downstairs yeah he's just got to keep this going and what he has to do also
15:10Paul you'll find that when Spartar gets caught with a good shot he'll try and grab and hold
15:15and that's when you've got to take that half a step back have that instinct of just maintaining
15:19that gap and let him fall into that space and then bring him on to more shots
15:26close you see Spartar will just try and hold and make things difficult and then the heads
15:31can clash and you never know what can happen on the inside when the heads do clash so just
15:36maintaining that gap and have that like I say just to step back occasionally to create that space
15:43when when your opponent's leaning forward and trying to grab and hold
15:48so Rich one of the puzzles now might be whether we see Franken continue
15:52to dominate he's very clearly in a lead but will he now really impose himself and keep
16:00the momentum keep sharp keep right on point in his work or will he just perhaps start to
16:08coast toward the finish line I think it's important because it would be the best way
16:12to back up after that Davey fight when he produced his best when he was asked to find more remember
16:18he touched down for a while didn't he had to come up with something so that's one fighter's mentality
16:23but to be a top level operator you have got to show everybody you can be the dominant guy
16:28yes I agree Paul and I think I think he should continue what he's doing here obviously he's
16:32been out of the ring for 10 months but um it's a six rounder remember so he's just
16:37doesn't just got to keep turning the screw each round here because from the end of the
16:43second round then he certainly found a way in terms of the more work he did the better it was
16:50and I think um Sparta is struggling with the pace so I think Franken just got to
16:58keep it going Paul it's much more impressive when he's setting a fast tempo definitely
17:07see that's what he's got to avoid leading with that backhand there just a little bit too far
17:11out misses the target he's not quite just been at it in this round exactly no no just set it
17:18up more with with that lead down before he throws that shot
17:25Sparta has spoiled a bit oh look at that we just our camera's just wide enough to show you I think
17:31what happened there Sparta was trying a bit of judo downstairs there a bit naughty naughty
17:40Sparta spoils his way to the end of the round
17:48um
18:11I'm getting
18:18closer yeah when he's now he's starting to come a little bit as he comes
18:29one or two little warnings there after that fourth round that Francom
18:34just needs to be on his metal
18:48fifth round of six for Joshua Francom the latest in a long line a famous fighting family
18:57all the way back to his uncle Johnny Francom the British light heavyweights champion a renowned
19:03champion of the 1970s in that division alone it was an all-time era at the likes of Chris
19:10Finnegan and Bob Foster and many many members of the wider family group well known in boxing
19:18starting at the very top of the game with the one and only Tyson Fury I had the great pleasure
19:22of being a house guest of Tyson Fury on Thursday could not have been more welcoming Richie
19:27really absolutely brilliant form wonderful company
19:33and I'm not saying all that because he might be watching no he's a good guy isn't he Tyson
19:40the crowd love him you know and his cousin is not doing too bad
19:46what he's got to try and avoid here though Francom like we've said for Sparta when he
19:50gets up close you just try and hold and that's when you've got to try and take our
19:54half a step back and we either bring him onto a right uppercut or a right hook
19:59thoroughly out boxed but there's no way to stay in it yeah exactly he's awkward
20:10so
20:28not a lot of telling landing blows in this round so far to tell you the truth
20:32no it's uh just took his foot off the gas here a little bit
20:36maybe feeling the pace a little bit with the 10 months out
20:41there's that right uppercut and again two or three and that's what i'm talking about
20:45about adjusting your feet and bring him on to that shot he did it there a couple of good shots
20:57of course Sparta for what would be in his mind just getting to the end of the contest
21:02to the end of the contest that's what he'll be thinking i just want to survive this get through
21:06this and then on to the next one he's fairly tough on them he's only been stopped twice
21:15that's what eight times in the UK fourth contest here at your call so he knows the surroundings
21:23and um like i says he's he'll be on his mind now is to get to the end and then
21:28obviously his next contest won't be too far away always on the road this time the end of the fight
21:34is not very far away because he has negotiated his way through to the end of this round the
21:39last 30 seconds was the best 30 seconds of that round from frankham it was a bit off best level
21:45before that
21:51it's a solid and that's what it is solid jab solid jab let's bring up our uppercut
22:12let's have a look at some of the action here he scores with the shot there and then just follows
22:16him with that lovely straight left hand follows him with the right this is right at the end of
22:20the round and one there just on the side of the head just right on the bell
22:28it's like a reverse one two if you like missing with the right hand then the
22:31straight left comes in and the little right hand finishes off here on the bell
22:39sparkles of outstanding boxing tonight from joshua frankham but he could well do with
22:44closing the show in style and i think that's the point they've made to him forcefully in the corner
22:49yeah to finish strong and finish on a real positive note he's probably needed this he's
22:55been 10 months out there at the ring and that's what he'll probably say at the end of this he's
23:00a good workout he's got one against a fairly difficult opponent to actually nail with the
23:07shot with that guard but there have been glimpses of what josh frankham can do when he's up the
23:12pace especially in the mid section of the contest and now it's important for him to finish strong
23:17to finish strong and finish very confident
23:40richie is it fair to say that sparta is the kind of opponent that you just don't give any
23:45encouragement at all to because if you give him an inch he takes about a mile and a half doesn't
23:50he absolutely um you know he's a tricky customer isn't he at the start of the contest he's changed
23:56again here keeps going from orthodox to southport um like i say fairly difficult to nail and give
24:02him a bit of confidence then he comes back at you so he's not a guy who just runs all the time
24:07fair play to him you know he's standing and having to go because this is the last round
24:10and he's experienced for
24:17very experienced for one so young yeah
24:24he's only about 15 fights but
24:27he seems he looks more experienced than what he fights has had to be quite honest
24:32he's good at his own game isn't he frackham has higher ideals in boxing and much higher
24:42targets in terms of titles and success of course the other story behind sparta might be he's from
24:50the eastern eastern europe estonia he may have had a difficult amateur career and a lot of amateur
24:57fights so who knows he's certainly boxing with sort of more experience than what his
25:04record shows really 30 seconds to go
25:27so
25:33managed to close the fifth round with a little bit of sparkle but i'm not sure we're going to
25:38see it this time around in the sixth round sparta clinging grabbing holding spoiling right to the
25:44very end frank are perhaps a little bit frustrated with the second half of the fight first half of
25:49the fight tonight really look the business that's something to build on yeah i think paul you know
25:56being out of the ring for 10 months i think was important tonight then obviously to get those six
26:01rounds under his belt as the contest has gone on then one time that we thought he was going to go
26:07through the gears when he was going to the game we thought he'd end pretty strongly but
26:11it wasn't that way he's won every more or less every round and so you can't complain too much
26:16but like i say the six rounds will have done him a world of good after that long layoff but what's
26:23important for him now paul is to get his next fight in the in the diary that's the important
26:27thing probably between six and eight weeks he's got to be back in again straight back in the gym
26:32short break and then back to it because he needs to box more regularly he knows that
26:43all friends afterwards
26:45ladies and gentlemen after six rounds of boxing your referee shawn mcavoy scores the contest
26:5360 54 to your winner joshua
27:05all one way on the card joshua
27:08oh
27:13all one way on the cards the story of the fight was a little bit more
27:18twisty and turny but joshua frankham has got the w that's 10 out of 10
27:24taken the distance by a real canny operator in archam sparta