Reymart Gaballo back on title trail

Las Vegas-based Brendan Gibbons, and his Viva Promotions, featured Reymart “The Assassin” Gaballo, (27-1, 22 KO’s), this week. He picked up a nice win that should slot the # 1 ranked WBO contender in a title shot before too long.

The hard-punching 118-pounder scored an impressive 1st round KO over veteran, former world champion, Phai Farob (35-4, 27 KO’s), who at one time held the WBA world minimumweight title.

Gaballo, the WBO’s #1 ranked contender at bantamweight, retained his WBO Oriental bantamweight title at the Midas Hotel in Manilla, Philippines. Gaballo is trained by Nonito Donaire Sr., a guy who knows a bit about world champions as his son, Nonito Jr., is a Hall of Fame-bound multiple world champion. Gaballo, 27, also knows a little about the Donaire family as he was a perfect 25-0 before losing to Nonito Jr. in a bid for Donaire’s WBC world bantamweight title.

The title shot loss is the only loss on an otherwise perfect record for the General Santos City-based fighter.

Since the Donaire fight at the end of 2021, this was only Gaballo’s 3rd fight in the last 26 months. He will be looking to get busier and show the world he is ready to take another crack at a world strap.

After the fight, Gaballo was a bit surprised, but pleased with the left hook to the body that crumpled his opponent

"I was able to do what we have been training for in the gym. I did not expect it to be that fast, I was just focused. I saw an opening and took it," Gaballo said. “I didn’t expect that fight to end that early, but I hit him with a very good shot to the body."

And, it was clear that coach Donaire, Sr., in his 2nd fight with Gaballo, loved seeing things they had worked on in the gym come to fruition in the ring.

"It was a good performance. We have been working on his accuracy and stance. We trained for that punch, and he will be confident to use it in the next fight because now he knows he can get a knockout with it," he said.

Gaballo enjoyed winning the WBA (interim) bantamweight championship back in 2018. Something tells me he’s ready to challenge for some world-title hardware again.