PE?ALOSA BATTLES AFRICAN OCT. 1

Former World Boxing Council superfly king Gerry Penalosa returns to action after almost a year of inactivity when he takes on an African opponent on October 1 in Manila.

Penalosa, who is currently in Cebu to serve as sparmate to Japanese Daisuke Naito, who is himself preparing for his WBC fight next month, has confirmed that he is indeed seeing action against an African fighter in a soon-to-be-announced venue in Manila.

"Yes, I'm fighting an African named Mutlala on October 1," Penalosa told this writer the other day.

It was not known whether American promoter Murad Muhammad would be bankrolling the fight. Muhammad, who figured in a bitter falling out with superstar Manny Pacquiao, had failed to book a fight for Penalosa in the United States on more than one occassion this year, prompting the Filipino ex-champ to fly back to the Philippines.

Penalosa had been training religiously under the watchful eye of Trainer of the Year awardee Buddy McGirt in Orlando, Florida, but was forced to return to the country after Muhammad failed to book a fight in the US.

Former two-division world champ Dodie Boy Penalosa, who trains his younger brother in the Philippines, had also informed that his brother had been tapped to spar with Japanese flyweight Daisuke Naito as the latter prepares for his October 10 challenge on WBC flyweight boss Pongsaklek Wongjongkam in Tokyo, Japan.

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