By Ronnie Nathanielsz
A sell-out crowd is expected at the Mardi Gras balloroon of the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas to watch OPBF No.1 and WBO No. 4 ranked super flyweight Z “The Dream” Gorres and WBO Asia Pacific junior lightweight champion Czar Amonsot battle tough Mexican opponents today.
Filipinos in Las Vegas and as far as Los Angeles are reportedly flocking to the venue in anticipation of another furious Philippine-Mexican war, fired by the excitement created by ring idol Manny Pacquiao’s spectacular victory over legendary Mexican Erik “El Terrible” Morales . The rivalry was further enhanced when OPBF minimum weight champion and WBC No.1 Rodel Mayol’s scored a sensational fourth round KO of Lorenzo Trejo in Cancun, Mexico last weekend in a world title eliminator.
Mexicans who have in the recent past taken a beating at the hands of Filipino fighters are dying to avenge the defeats and are hoping that Alfredo Trejo and hard-hitting Cristian Favela can get the job done.
At the official weigh in Gorres tipped the scales at 116 pounds while Tirado weighed in at 116.5 pounds. Amonsot weighed 133.5 pounds while his opponent Favela who had to reduce two pounds checked in at 135 pounds, one pound over the agreed limit but couldn’t reduce any more. Matchmaker Jimmy Montoya with the consent of well known Cebu promoter and manager Sammy Gello-ani who is in Vegas allowed the fight to go on on the blockbuster Guilty Promotions fight card.
In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Gello-ani said both Gorres and Amonsot were on “fine shape” and he was confident they would do well. Gello-ano revealed that Filipinos and Americans, impressed by the showing of Pacquiao, will support the fighters from the famed ALA Gym of respected boxing patron Tony Aldeguer and indications are the promotion will be a sell-out.
Gello-ani said both Gorres and Amonsot were confident even as 2003 “Trainer of the Year” Freddie Roach who has made a head-start towards receiving the honor once again said “the boys have trained hard” even as he noted that Amonsot who is making his US debut has looked impressive in sparring and his confidence was growing day by day.
Viva Sports will telecast the fights on its top-rated weekly boxing show ‘THE MAIN EVENT” sponsored by Tanduay, the No. 1 Rhum at 1:00 p.m.on Sunday’s over RPN 9 after its telecast of the Mayol-Trejo encounter. Fight fans will enjoy a preview of the Mayol-Trejo fight including Trejo’s victory in his North American Boxing Federation title fight against Oscar Murillo as well as exclusive footage of Gorres and Amonsot in training at the Wild Card Gym on “The Main Event” this Sundays
