Gabi Ready to Score Upset Vs Darchinyan
By Winchell Campos
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 02 Mar 2006
STA. YNEZ, CA—Ranged against the hardest-hitting flyweight in the world, Filipino challenger Diosdado Gabi may just score the biggest upset win of his career and snatch the International Boxing Federation and International Boxing Organization belts of Victor Darchinyan when they clash Friday night at the Chumash Casino here.
While Darchinyan’s camp have been harping of a possible future match-up with the flamboyant WBC flyweight champion Jorge Arce, Gabi thinks the champion is making the terrible mistake of looking past him.
“Gagawin ko ang lahat para manalo ako at hindi ako natatakot (I will do my best in order to win and I am not scared of him),” said Gabi, who has trained for two hard months and has sparred with the best little men at the Wild Card gym of trainer Freddie Roach.
“Pagkakataon ko na ito para lumaban para sa world title kaya ipapakita ko sa mga kababayan ko sa Filipinas at sa aking mga mahal sa buhay ang kakayahan ko sa ring,” said Gabi, promising to score an upset over Darchinyan, who has trained for only four weeks for this fight.
Even as Darchinyan tried to hide his over-confidence, he said that the fight against Gabi is important. “Every fight is a big fight. Yes, it is in my mind (a fight with Arce) but I am going to show him (Gabi) how good I am.”
Gabi, who has sparred with world champion Brian Viloria, among others, said that he has prepared a counter-punching game plan to negate the obvious power and height disparity in the match-up of two southpaws.
“My fighter is ready 100 percent and he is just two pounds over the limit yesterday,” said Roach, who also predicted an upset like the way his most popular pupil, Manny Pacquiao, shocked the highly-touted and then champion African Lehlo Ledwaba in 2001.
“I have trained Gabi long enough here and in Davao (Gabi’s hometown) and he is a better boxer than Manny. He’s a hard-working kid like any other kid in the Philippines, and I think we can pull through,” added Roach.
While Darchinyan, the Armenia-born Australian is apparently not paying much attention, Gabi said that he might pay dearly for it, saying that he is pumped up to show how good he truly is despite giving away three inches in height.
“We respect the champion’s punching power but we are not gonna run. Gabi’s not gonna lay down this chance for a world title,” said Michael Koncz, Gabi’s manager.
Despite the apparent lack of training time, the unbeaten Darchinyan (24-0, 19 KOs) said he will emerge victorious in any way, saying he is ready to show the American boxing public how good he is. “I can knock out anyone and I am going to show him how good I am.”
Darchinyan’s coach, three-time world champion Jeff Fenech said that his ward is ready having sparred for six rounds with guys 20 pounds heavier.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Winchell Campos.
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