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Thursday, April 21, 2005
WBC champ ducks Gabi anew
By Charles Raymond A. Mxaey
THAI world champion Pongsaklek Wongjongkam has chickened out anew.
Wongjongkam, the World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight titlist, recently turned down an offer to fight Dioasdado "Prince" Gabi of Davao City in a title-bout sometime this year.
This was announced Wednesday by Gabi's manager, Soc Piñol, who revealed they had attempted anew to have Wongjongkam fight his ward through international matchmaker Leonil Lazarito.
Lazarito, according to Piñol, even increased the original amount and dangled $200,00 to Wongjongkam.
But, for the second time, Wongjongkam rejected the challenge.
"He refused to fight Gabi," Piñol said of Wongjongkam. Gabi, a native of Lasang, Davao City but is now fighting out of North Cotabato under the stable of Governor Manny Piñol, was supposed to fight Wongjongkam in September last year but the Thai champ backed out at the last minute.
Gabi is rated No. 6 by the WBC and No. 2 by the World Boxing Foundation.
Gabi won his last bout here in Davao City over Philippine junior bantamweight titlist Eric Barcelona of Bukidnon.
Prior to that, he annihilated Jimmy Pinontoan of Indonesia in just 37 seconds a couple of months ago.
The Gabi camp is also negotiating for a title-shot against International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan of Australia.
Meanwhile, international promoter Murad Muhammad has reportedly added the world-rated Gabi to his stable of fighters under promotional contracts.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (April 2, 2005 issue)
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