GORRES IN LINE FOR TITLE SHOT AGAINST KIRILOV
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 15 Oct 2007
The Philippines flashy southpaw Z ?The Dream? Gorres is in line for an IBF super flyweight title shot against newly-crowned champion Dimitri Kirilov of Russia who captured the vacant crown with a unanimous but close decision over former US Olympian Jose Navarro in Moscow early Sunday morning Manila Time.
In the fight which was on the undercard of the WBO heavyweight title showdown between another Russian, southpaw Sultan Ibragimov and former four-time world champion Evander Holyfield which Ibragimov won handily, was telecast nationwide over the giant Philippine broadcast network ABS-CBN which, according to Vice President for Sports Peter Musngi has lined up several big fights in the last quarter.
Among the fight cards are the ones headlined by the eagerly awaited WBC super featherweight title fight between Juan Manuel Marquez and Rocky Juarez and the megabuck battle between Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Gorres who was robbed of the WBO world title when he lost a split decision to Fernando Montiel in the ?Moment of Truth? fight card at the Cebu City Sports Complex last February 24 has sparred in the past with Kirilov as well as Navarro at celebrated trainer Freddie Roach?s Wild Card Gym and done well. Roach was in the corner of Kirilov in Moscow where the infamous Samuel Viruet was referee. Viruet who deducted two points from Gorres at a crucial stage of the Montiel fight without a previous warning, warned Kirilov a couple of times in the Navarro fight but never penalized the Russian.
Gorres earned the right to challenge the winner of the Kirilov-Navarro title fight when he scored an impressive eighth round TKO over former WBC light flyweight champion Eric Ortiz in an IBF title eliminator during the World Cup fight card in Sacramento last August 11 when Gorres won the IBF Intercontinental crown.
Gorres who has a record of 27-2-1 with 15 knockouts against the 29-3, 10 KO card of Kirilov is taller and has the skills to beat Kirilov who eked out a 114-113, 114-113 and 116-112 decision over Navarro who suffered a flash knockdown in the third round that probably cost him the fight. It was Navarro?s third defeat in a title fight having previously lost to Japanese Katsushige Kawashima in a horrendous hometown decision on January 3, 2005 and was then beaten fair and square by Masamori Tokuyama on February 27, 2006.
WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa who was on the ABS-CBN broadcast panel said he was confident Gorres could beat Kirilov because of his speed, quickness and ring savy although the Russian was a rugged fighter.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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