Usually the ShoBox series on Showtime features up-and-coming fighters but this Friday we have a world title 12-rounder when undefeated flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan defends against a useful-looking challenger from the Philippines, Diosdado Gabi.
Darchinyan, born in Armenia, now living in Australia and trained by Aussie legend Jeff Fenech, is the clear favourite, but there is intrigue in this meeting of southpaws.
Gabi, 26, has a respectable record (26 wins, two losses and a draw, 18 opponents stopped), he has won 13 bouts in a row and his only losses were on 12-round decisions in Thailand against unbeaten fighters — and in each case the fights were at the 115-pound super flyweight limit. One of those losses was to the heavy handed Samson Dutch Boy Gym, an intriguing character who had knocked out 36 opponents in 40 consecutive wins.
What this tells us straight away is that Gabi can go rounds, away from home, with a strong fighter.
Samson, yet another southpaw, had become accustomed to stopping his opponents and he had halted some good fighters: ex-flyweight champ Hugo Soto, the usually very tough Cruz Carbajal (who subsequently won a bantamweight championship) and Alexander Mahmutov, a European champ. None went past the sixth round with Samson, but the Thai was unable to put Gabi on the floor although he did win that fight widely on points.
So we have to assume that Gabi is not the type who will get easily blown away.
There is more, though.
Gabi has been training in Los Angeles under the direction of Freddie Roach, which is highly significant. Not only is Roach a great trainer and strategist who has had tremendous success coaching Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao, but fighters at his Wild Card gym have the benefit of sparring with world-class fighters plus the strength and conditioning drills of ex-heavyweight Justin Fortune.
So you can be sure that anyone coming out of the Wild Card gym will be in shape and ready to fight, qualities that Gabi is definitely going to need on Friday at the Chumash casino resort in wine-producing territory at Santa Ynez, CA, because he faces one of the most formidable champions in the lighter weight classes.
Darchinyan, 30, is unbeaten in 24 fights with 19 KOs and he had an extensive amateur background with the Armenian team, boxing in the Olympics, world and European championships: this is a well-seasoned fighter who has faced a variety of boxing styles.
When Darchinyan won his title it was against still another southpaw flyweight, Irene Pacheco, the Colombian who had won 30 fights in a row.
Darchinyan was the underdog that night in Hollywood, FL, but he gave a dominant display, knocking down Pacheco twice, while the Colombian also had three points deducted for blatant low blows before succumbing in the 11th round. I saw that fight on tape and a fading Pacheco was trying to do something, anything , to keep Darchinyan off.
Stopping Pacheco was, of course, Darchinyan’s biggest win. In his two title defences he overpowered the ill-fated South African Mzuksi Sikali (another southpaw) in the eighth before running right over the Colombian Jair Jimenez in a five-round mismatch.
Now Darchinyan is back in America, promoted by Gary Shaw and eager to fight big fights.
I had a brief phone conversation with him while he was at the California commission office in L.A. finalising paperwork and I got the impression that this is a very confident fighter — genuine confidence, too. He said he would love to fight Jorge Arce and even suggested that the colourful Mexican slugger was not too eager to meet him.
In the meantime, though, Darchinyan simply wants to make a big impression on U.S. television (the Irene Pacheco fight was shown only on tape-delay and I think a lot of fans probably missed it).
What Darchinyan wants is a spectacular type of victory and he seems very sure that he will get it.
Over to Freddie Roach, who said from the Wild Card gym: “I know we’re a big underdog in the fight, Darchinyan’s a strong guy, good puncher and all that, but Gabi’s a good little boxer — I think he’s going to surprise people. He’s technically very sound and he’s got pretty good defence. I worked with him when I was over in the Philippines when I was working with Manny and he’s been in my gym for a couple of months and we fought that one fight in Stockton [a marking-time win last September]. He’s a solid fighter. We’re coming to win.”
The Wild Card connection clearly enhances Gabi’s chances. I think of Bobby Pacquiao, Manny’s brother and still another Filipino left-hander, who was fortunate to get the decision but fought the fight of his life against Carlos “Famoso” Hernandez. But even Freddie cannot work miracles and I fear that Gabi is probably in a little bit over his head in this fight.
Even though Gabi’s record looks decent enough he has not beaten anyone whom I would consider a truly world-class fighter.
Darchinyan is, in real terms, the more experienced fighter, the stronger man, clearly the puncher in the fight, and he has fought on the big stage and against much stiffer competition than Gabi has faced.
A slight concern is that Darchinyan had only a four-week training camp: Jeff Fenech told a telephone conference call this week that he would have been happier with a couple more weeks although he seems satisfied with Darchinyan’s state of readiness.
And when a fighter sounds as certain as Darchinyan does about crunching the other fighter you have to wonder if perhaps there is a danger that he is underestimating the opponent, although Fenech and the fighter himself assure us that, no, they respect Gabi and expect a stern challenge.
With so much at stake — this fight is intended to launch Darchinyan in the U.S. — I cannot conceive of the Aussie-Armenian blowing his title with a lackadaisical performance. I expect him to come out and try to put Gabi under pressure from the start. Gabi, meanwhile, is in the position of having all to gain, nothing to lose, so I think we will see the Filipino put up spirited resistance.
I am looking forward to this fight. It sets the stage nicely for Showtime’s Joe Calzaghe-Jeff Lacy event the following night.
Gabi will give it all he has, no question about that, but I just do not think it will be enough.
Darchinyan looks just too good, too powerful, and I get the feeling that he will overwhelm a game challenger around about the eighth round.
Last Updated: March 1, 2006 12:59am Note: Odds are for entertainment purposes only
