Of all our local boxing stars strutting their wares in the World Cup of boxing on March 4 here in Cebu City, I have the highest hopes for Gerry Pe?alosa. Not only is he the most experienced and the most skilled, he is also the sentimental favorite among boxing purists.
Gerry has been there before and knows what it takes to be on top. And when he climbs the ring to challenge Jhonny Gonzales, for the WBO bantamweight title he will be no stranger to the glare of boxing limelight. Like a long lost friend welcoming him back with open arms, Gerry will not be uncomfortable embracing the ephemeral warmth it offers. Only now, he will wish the feeling will last longer. .
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Flashback to Feb 20, 1997. Gerry Penalosa glows in the adulation he receives in the aftermath of his unanimous decision win over Hiroshi Kawashima in Tokyo, Japan to claim the WBC super-flyweight Title.
At that time, Luisito “Lindol” Espinosa held the IBF featherweight belt and Gerry’s win was another source of pride for Filipinos. It also confirmed that Gerry was the rightful heir to the deep boxing pedigree of the Pe?alosa family.
Gerry’s southpaw style, coupled with his uncanny ability to slip punches with minimum effort, duck and counter effectively proved to be a quagmire for his foes. He was poised to dominate his division and become the next Filipino boxing legend.
Fast forward to Aug. 29, 1998. Gerry is frustrated by the hit and run tactics of speedster In Joo Cho and drops a close decision in Seoul, South Korea .
At that time, rumors swirled around that Gerry was having marital and managerial problems and if any of these were true, they surely compounded to the woes Gerry experienced, fighting a very elusive Korean foe. Counter punchers don’t do too well against movers. There’s nothing to counter as hit and run artists never stick around for a receipt after delivering the goods. Styles make fights and In Joo Choo was a stylistic nightmare to Gerry.
He tries again in a rematch two years later, but the outcome is another heartbreaking split decision loss. Gerry inexplicably does not do anything different in the return bout and the defending champ was more than happy to continue with their prior arrangement. Gerry drops out of the limelight just as quickly as his mercurial rise to the top.
Interlude. On Dec. 4 of that same year Gerry lost the first fight to Choo, a skinny 20 year-old kid sporting bangs, named Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, knocks out Thailander Chatchai Sasakul in round 8 to win the WBC flyweight belt. The public discovers a new boxing darling and over the next few years, Manny would proceed to hold a vice-like grip over the claim as the country’s premiere boxing icon.
Twilight zone. In the meantime, Gerry piles up a couple more wins over undistinguished opposition, but loses twice to Japanese Masamori Tokuyama, In Joo Cho’s conqueror.
Unperturbed, Gerry has now managed to eke out a five fight winning streak, which culminated in his most recent victory against Mauricio Pastrana. In that fight, Gerry showed that he still possesses world class boxing skills. However, he also showed his age, as he got tagged and was wobbled on a couple of occasions.
At 34, Gerry is now at the twilight of his career. Up against a young hungry lion in Jhonny Gonzales, Gerry will need to summon all the vigor that remains in his battle-scarred body, use every punch, every trick, every crafty move in his arsenal. More importantly, he has to have the heart of a champion.
Go for it Gerry. Don’t forget to punch hard when it matters and hit where it hurts. Strike a blow for all those who believe that everybody deserves a second chance. An old friend awaits….
THE LAST ROUND. Today’s last round goes out to the Gerry Penalosa of our Thursday Club basketball group, Sigfred Sayson, an old friend who recently returned from a stint abroad. Sigfred’s pretty moves inside the hard court are not unlike Gerry’s polished moves inside the ring, and he piles up the points faster than his brother Homer can spew out metaphors. Welcome back and cheers!
