Monday, January 21, 2008 Gorres-Darchinyan fight: It's boxing skills vs power
IT IS going to be skills vs power when Filipino boxer Z "The Dream" Gorres faces Armenian-born Vic Darchinyan on Feb. 2 at the Waterfront Hotel Grand Ballroom in Cebu.
Gorres also has punching power, but the fists of "The Raging Bull" definitely packs more wallop based on his fight record.
Darchinyan, the former world flyweight champion who is now based in Australia, has a high knockout record of 23 in his 29 wins, while absorbing only one defeat.
That was at the hands of Filipino Nonito Donaire Jr., who stopped Darchinyan in the fifth round to win the world crown last July.
Gorres will enter the ring carrying a record of 27-2-1 with 15 KOs and is currently the listed as No. 7 contender in the IBF. Gorres won over Eric Ortiz of Mexico last August to win the IBF Intercontinental super flyweight title.
The Gorres-Darchinyan fight is actually an eliminator, with the winner earning the right to meet IBF super fly champ Dimitri Kirilov.
Darchinyan, who rose from that defeat to Donaire with a victory in his last fight, is dying to become title-holder again and believes he has the power to knock Gorres out in their coming Cebu encounter.
But, he is up against a tough opponent in Gorres, who was impressive in his public sparring session days ago at the ALA Gym in Banilad, Cebu.
"He's ready to take on Darchinyan, ALA Gym boss Antonio L. Aldeguer said of his ward after the workout. Gorres sparred against two fighters, lightweight Glen Masicampo and bantamweight Gil Millegen.
The Gorres-Darchinyan bout is dubbed "Now or Never" and will be covered by Solar Sports to be telecast in the Philippines and Australia and by live Internet streaming around the world. (CRAM)
