Gorres fight moved

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By Edri K. Aznar

INSTEAD of fighting in the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto fight on Nov. 15 (RP time) in Las Vegas, Z Gorres is scheduled to headline a boxing card the day before the fight at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

“They will stick with original plan. Z will be fighting in the main event of Nov. 13,” said ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer in an interview by Sun.Star Cebu yesterday.

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The 27-year-old Gorres is tentatively scheduled to fight veteran Puerto Rican Eric Morel for the interim World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight crown as what was mandated by WBO president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel.

However, it isn’t final yet as Morel hasn’t told Top Rank, the promoter of the event, if he is accepting the fight.

“They (Top Rank) are talking to the Morel camp but they (Morel’s camp) haven’t given a word,” said Aldeguer.

Despite the uncertainty, Aldeguer is optimistic that Gorres and the 34-year-old Morel will be facing each other because their fight was ordered by WBO.

“Morel should accept the fight because it was ordered by Paco Valcarcel,” he said.

If Morel refuses a fight with Gorres, Aldeguer is hoping that the WBO will pick another top contender to face Gorres for the interim WBO bantamweight title.

“We’ll just be ready. We’re focused on Morel but we are ready regardless who is placed in front of us. Hopefully, we get a word within the week,” said Aldeguer

The other fight ordered by WBO was a world title fight between the current WBO bantamweight titleholder Fernando Montiel and veteran Filipino fighter Gerry Peñalosa, which is slated this December.

Valcarcel said that the winner of the Gorrres vs. Morel and Montiel vs. Peñalosa fights will face each other in 2010 for the WBO bantamweight title.

Gorres and ALA Gym trainers Edito and Edmund Villamor will leave for the US on Oct. 18.


Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 9, 2009.