By Ronnie Nathanielsz
The confidence of world-rated OPBF No.1 super flyweight Z “The Dream” Gorres and WBO Asia Pacific junior lightweight champion Czar Amonsot was given a boost by the smashing victory over Manny Pacquiao over Erik Morales at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Saturday.
The two rising young fighters will invade Las Vegas’ Orleans Casino on February 3 with Gorres who is scheduled to fight for the vacant OPBF super flyweight title on March 18 in Mandaue City and is currently ranked No. 4 by the WBO and No. 9 by the IBF facing Mexican journeyman Alfredo Tirado in themain event. Tirado boasts of 19 KO’s in 24 wins with 8 losses, the most recent being a fifth round technical decision to another Filipino, world-rated Diosdado “Prince” Gabi who is handled by well-known American boxing man Michael Koncz.
Amonsot who has an impressive record of 13-1-1 with 10 knockouts faces Mexican Antonio Wong.in an eight round semi main event . Both fights will ve telecast by Viva Sports on its top-rated weekly boxing show "The Main Event" over RPM 9.
Meantime, the executive secretary of the World Boxing Council Mauricio Sulaiman in a brief email to Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today said “congratulations to the Philippines and the Filipino people on Pacquiao’s victory.” Sulaiman, the son of WBC president Jose Sulaiman added, “what a victory!!!!”
Koncz who has served as business manager of some fighters from the ALA Gym and been instrumental in securing fights for them as well as for Bobby Pacquiao in the US told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today in an overseas telephone conversation that he watched the Pacquiao-Morales fight along with Gorres and Amonsot at the jam-packed Commerce Casino in Los Angeles which, according to Koncz “had more Filipinos than Mexicans with a number of Americans also in attendance.
Koncz said Pacquiao’s win “expanded the large following he already has” and that many Americans are now supporters of the Filipino ring idol.. He said Pacquiao’s win clearly motivated the Filipino fighters and he expects them to put on a good performance on February 3.
