WHEN Diosdado Gabi steps into the ring this Friday (Saturday in Manila) to challenge world flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan, he will be attempting to shoot down two birds with one stone.
Both the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and International Boxing Organization (IBO) championship belts of Darchinyan are on the line when he defends against the Filipino challenger at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California.
The 26-year-old Gabi is the underdog when he faces the hard-punching Darchinyan in a 12-round bout, but a victory here will make him the first boxer from Davao City to win a world title, and capture two belts at that.
Gabi, a fisherman’s son from Barangay Lasang, had been denied twice of a crack at the world crown and want to make most out of this golden opportunity.
Freddie Roach, Gabi’s American trainer, believes his ward has what it takes to beat Darchinyan.
“I sensed an upset,” Roach said during a conference call Tuesday.
The undefeated Darchinyan, called the `Raging Bull, holds an impressive record of 24-0 with 19 KOs, while Gabi has 26-2-1 with 18 KOs.
Gabi and his manager Mike Koncz were scheduled to leave Orange County yesterday and should be at Santa Ynez, California by this time.
