Z “THE DREAM” GORRES pounded a lackluster unanimous decision win over outclassed Thai Deeden Kengkarun Saturday night before a disappointed crowd at the San Andres Sports and Civic Center.
The yawner of a match could hardly be blamed entirely on the 23-year-old Cebuano southpaw, who tangled with a foe who hardly fought and whose defense was tight as a clamshell.
Reputedly a former World Boxing Association rated contender, Kengkarun seemed content in clowning around and surviving rather than slugging it out with his Filipino rival.
“Ayaw sumuntok noong Thai puro na lang depensa (The Thai refused to box, he just wanted to defend),” said Gorres, frustration written all over his face after the 10-round nontitle match, while being interviewed inside his locker room.
“The Thai’s intention obviously wanted to last the match. He did not come to fight because he knew he would be beaten,” said Cebu boxing patron Tony Aldeguer, the boxer’s comanager with lawyer-sportsman Rudy Salud.
The bout was hardly a showcase of the new ring skills acquired by Gorres under noted American trainers Freddie Roach and Buddy McGirt.
“Bulok ‘yong kalaban, kaya nahawa na pati si Gorres [The opponent was a lemon so Gorres got ‘infected’ too],” Rod Nazario, the former business manager of Manny Pacquiao, noted
Surviving a second-round knockdown, Kengkarun did manage to inflict some damage, opening a nasty cut on Gorres’ left eyebrow when they accidentally butted heads in the third round at the center of the ring.
From that point on, the match before some 3,000 fans—among them Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr., Gov. Manny Pinol of North Cotabato and guest of honor Mayor Atienza of Manila—deteriorated into a circus show.
The only time the gallery perked up was at the end of each round when the Viva Hotbabes, led by Gwen Garci, sashayed as round girls.
A former muay thai (kickboxing) fighter, Kengkarun wrestled Gorres to the canvas in the sixth round and periodically lowered his guard, taunting the hometown bet to come in and show his stuff.
But when the Filipino called his bluff and moved closer to trade punches, the Thai would slouch and deftly cover his head and body, leaving Gorres with no target to hit.
Not even the crowd’s howls of “Tapusin, Tapusin! [Finish him, finish him!]” from the seventh round onwards could spur Gorres in knocking out his durable rival.
In the end, all three judges scored it 100-88 in favor of the Filipino to improve his record to 20 wins—11 by knockout—1 draw and 1 loss.
Aldeguer said his prized ward, rated No. 1 in the Oriental super flyweight division, would be fighting in Manila in the undercard of another of his prot?g?s, Rey “Boom Boom,” the reigning World Boxing Organization Asia-Pacific bantamweight kingpin, in November.
