Friday, January 25, 2008 Legal battle over, Gabi resumes fighting By Charles Raymond A. Maxey
WITH no legal battle to worry now, Diosdado Gabi of Davao City can focus again on his boxing career and is, in fact, up for another big battle atop the ring.
The 27-year-old Gabi, called "Prince" in the local boxing circle, will resume fighting on March 15 against young but very talented Mexican Abner Mares.
The Gabi-Mares clash is one of the undercards of the highly-anticipated Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez rematch scheduled at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Gabi carries a record of 30-3-1 with 21 KOs, while the undefeated Mares will enter the ring with a fight slate of 15-0 with 9 KOs.
Eric Gomez of the Golden Boy Promotions said Gabi is willing to take on anyone and this is the reason they are putting him in the Pacquiao-Marquez card.
Gabi is now training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles with Pacquiao and world super flyweight champion Gerry Peñalosa.
Mares, 22, is an excellent fighter, a technical wonder who packs wallop in both fists.
It can be recalled that Gabi ran into a legal battle last year with North Cotabato Vice Gov. Manny Pi¤ol after the latter filed a case in court against the boxer for alleged breach of contract.
The case, however, was dropped after Pi¤ol eventually filed an affidavit of desistance. This came after Gabi had made a public apology regretting what he had done against the vice governor.
Piñol, when he was still the governor of North Cotabato, was Gabi's chief benefactor.
Now that the court case is over, Gabi is looking forward to another big fight as he continue to search and realize his one big dream which is to become a world boxing champion one day.
