Z Gorres laughed off yesterday Australian opponent Vic Darchinyan?s taunts and boasts, declaring he?d rather let his fists do the talking when they square off in a scheduled 12-round IBF superflyweight title eliminator at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino ballroom in Lahug, Cebu City, this Saturday.
Since arriving from Sydney last weekend, Darchinyan has been widely quoted in Cebu media as predicting a knockout win over Gorres and showing little respect for the Mandaue stylist.
?I?m not intimidated,? said Gorres in Pilipino. ?I heard he?s been talking a lot, saying he?ll bring me down. I don?t care what he says. He doesn?t scare me. Let?s just see what happens when we meet in the ring.?
Gorres, 25, said he?s studied Darchinyan?s style in six fights on tape and there?s no way the visitor, who is of Armenian descent, can win.
?He?s got power but that?s all,? said Gorres. ?If he doesn?t connect, how can he win? In the gym, I worked on my footwork, power and defense. If I get hit, I won?t get rattled. I have some surprises for him.?
Gorres assured his fans they won?t be disappointed with the outcome unlike in his bid to dethrone WBO superflyweight champion Fernando Montiel in Cebu last year.
?I?m battle-ready now,? said Gorres. ?My training has been excellent. For Montiel, I came back from abroad three weeks before the fight and didn?t really have enough time for good training. This time, I?m mentally and physically prepared.?
Gorres said he sparred over 100 rounds mainly with left-handers to simulate Darchinyan?s style. Among his sparmates were A. J. Banal, Philippine superlightweight titlist Mark Jason Melligen and Boom Boom Bautista. The other day, he began to taper off and did mitts, shadow boxed and skipped rope in the gym. His weight was 119 pounds and he said making the 115-pound limit won?t be a problem.
Gorres said Darchinyan?s style is predictable and he telegraphs his punches, making it easy to slip away.
?He?s flat-footed,? said Gorres. ?He has a strong left but when he throws it and misses, he?s wide open. He has a hard time chasing you because he has limited skills. The key is to make him miss then you attack when he?s off-balance.?
Gorres promised an exciting fight.
?I?ll fight him like a matador facing a bull,? said Gorres. ?I don?t know if the fight will go the distance. It depends on the situation. If there?s an opportunity for me to knock him out, I?ll go for it. If I can end it early, I?ll do it. I?ll give it my all, everything I?m capable of doing. I know I disappointed my fans when I lost to Montiel. I won?t disappoint them again.?
Gorres said IBF flyweight champion Nonito Donaire, who handed Darchinyan his only loss so far, gave him tips on how to handle the Australian brawler.
?Donaire told me not to be overconfident, to watch for his left hand,? said Gorres. ?He wants me to be careful and stay away. I also got tips from Tingyan Velasquez who was in (Federico) Catubay?s corner in Darchinyan?s last fight.?
Velasquez said Gorres has a big chance of beating Darchinyan even if his ward, Catubay, was decked twice and lost by a knockout in the 12th round.
According to Velasquez, it?s easy to read what Darchinyan will do in the ring.
?His punches come from the outside and when he throws the left, his right goes down,? said Gorres. ?With the right timing, I won?t find it difficult to hit him. I wasn?t impressed with his win over Catubay. I didn?t see any improvement from the Donaire fight.?
Gorres said he?s dedicating the fight to his family ? wife Datchess and their three children Dheybert, 5, Shailadhey, 3 and Zhey, 1 ? the Sto. Ni?o to whom he is devoted, ALA stable owner Tony Aldeguer, manager Michael Aldeguer and loyal fans from Cebu, Mandaue and all over the country.
Last May, Gorres got married to Datchess in a Church ceremony. They live in their own two-bedroom house on a 100 square-meter lot in Mandaue. With his ring earnings, Gorres bought a pick-up which he uses to supply charcoal to buyers and a property to build a house for rent.
?I?m fighting for my country and a better life for my family,? said Gorres. ?This is my time. I?ll show Darchinyan what I?m made of in the ring.?
Gorres? record is 27-2-1, with 15 KOs, compared to Darchinyan?s 29-1, with 23 KOs. The winner of the eliminator becomes the mandatory challenger of IBF 115-pound champion Dimitri Kirilov of Russia.
