HOLYFIELD QUEST ON ABS-CBN
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 14 Oct 2007
Evander Holyfield?s quest to create boxing history by winning the world heavyweight title a fifth time will be telecast by the giant Philippine broadcast network ABS-CBN over its pre-eminent Channel 2 tomorrow (Sunday) beginning at 9:00 a.m.
While the 44 year old Holyfield?s determined effort to win a fifth world title against the shifty, counter-punching southpaw and reigning WBO champion Sultan Ibragimov is bound to attract fight fans from an emotional standpoint, the real interest may well center on the main supporting bout ? the battle for the vacant IBF super flyweight title between Russia?s Dimitri Kirilov and 2000 US Olympian Jose Navarro who are both skilful fighters.
That?s because the Philippines Z ?The Dream? Gorres who was clearly robbed of the WBO title in a bum decision against Fernando Montiel in Cebu City last February 24 is expected to get a shot at the winner.
Gorres who has a record of 27-2-1 with 15 knockouts earned the right to fight the winner of the Kirilov-Navarro battle by scoring a spectacular eighth round TKO over former world light flyweight champion Eric Ortiz in the ?World Cup? in Sacramento last August 11 which was also telecast by ABS-CBN as part of its growing involvement in bringing great fights to Filipino boxing fans across the country.
The Gorres-Ortiz fight was billed as an IBF 115 pound title eliminator which puts the flashy southpaw in the forefront of the challengers.
Gorres has sparred against Kirilov as well as Navarro at the Wild Card Gym of trainer Freddie Roach and has always expressed confidence he could beat either of them.
Kirilov who is nicknamed ?The Baby? has a record of 28-3 with 9 knockouts while Navarro who twice fought for the title in Japan and lost has a record of 26-2, 12 knockouts. Navarro first lost a horrendous hometown split decision to Katsushige Kawashima on January 3, 2005 but was later beaten fair and square by Masamori Tokuyama on February 27, 2006.
Tokuyama also prevailed in a controversial hometown decision over reigning WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa who will be one of the special guests during the ABS-CBN coverage which will be beamed from Moscow in the early morning hours and telecast beginning at 9:00 a.m. Veteran broadcaster Sev Sarmenta will anchor the boxing special.
Top photo: Former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield of the U.S. (L) and WBO heavyweight boxing champion Sultan Ibragimov of Russia pose in Moscow October 12, 2007. Ibragimov won a unanimous decision over Holyfield to retain his WBO heavyweight title on Saturday. (Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters)
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