By Rey Danseco
 
The International Boxing Federation (IBF) has mandated an eliminator between two of their highest contenders, Z Gorres of the Philippines and Vic Darchinyan of Australia.

The IBF wants the winner to face newly crowned IBF super-flyweight champion Dimitri Kirilov of Russia in 2008.

The 28-year-old, 5'4 Kirilov (29-3, 9 KOs) took the vacant title on October 13 in Moscow with unanimous decision win over Olympian Jose Navarro of the United States.

Chairman Lindsey Tucker Jr. of the IBF Championship Committee insisted that the handlers of the two fighters must inform them about their desire to participate in the eliminator on an immediate basis or else they will not be included in the proposed bout.

If Gorres’s promoter, Golden Boy Promotions of Los Angeles and Darchinyan’s handler, Gary Shaw Productions of New Jersey, agree to the fight, then the task comes of where to place the 12-round collision. Darchinyan is ranked higher at No. 5 and has a record of 29-1 with 23 knockouts, while Gorres is No. 6 contender with respectable 27-2-1 with 15 stoppages.

If Shaw makes the promotion, he might place it on his December 1 card at the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut where Darchinyan’s conqueror Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire is slated to defend his IBF/IBO flyweight titles against Luis “Titi” Maldonado, who was one of Darchinyan’s challenger and KO victims.
 
GBP has a scheduled card on Dec. 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas that might put on a Gorres-Darchinyan bout. The main event will pit WBC welterweight champ Floyd Mayweather against Ricky Hatton.

But Gorres’ manager Antonio L. Aldeguer is willing to stage the fight in the Philippines if he will be given a chance.

"Vic knows Gorres is a strong southpaw with a big punch, a bit like Vic himself," Darchinyan’s agent Angelo Hyder was quoted as saying by Sportsnut website yesterday.

"Gorres also has a first round KO over Glenn Donaire, Nonito’s brother, who also fought Vic for the world flyweight title. Gorres lost a very disputed decision to Fernando Montiel for the WBO super-flyweight title and is obviously one of the best fighters in the world at 115lb."