San Carlos City’s Gerry Penalosa may be the oldest boxer on Sunday’s (Saturday night in the US) team-styled boxing card in Sacramento between the Philippines and Mexico but he could also turn out to be the showstopper.
According to internet reports, the Philippines’ American trainer, Freddie Roach, tipped the Negrense pug to win with odds installed at 4 to 1.
“I’ve been working with fighters from the Philippines a long time,” Roach told the Sacramento Bee. “And as popular as Manny Pacquiao is over there, Gerry is the best pure, textbook boxer ever to come out of that country,” he said. The 35-year-old Penalosa (51-6-2, 34 knockouts), a former world champion, has never been knocked down in 59 fights.
He stopped Hiroshi Kawashima to win the WBC super flyweight championship in 1997. Gerry held the title over three defenses. He lost to WBO super bantamweight champion, Mexican Juan Ponce De Leon, via unanimous decision last April.
De Leon is in the other title fight, staking his 122-pound belt at Arco against Penalosa teammate Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista (23-0, 17 KOs). On Sunday, Penalosa will face Jhonny Gonz?lez (34-5, 29 KOs) for the World Boxing Organization bantamweight title. The 25-year-old is a solid favorite.
But Roach thinks otherwise.
“Some people think I made a mistake putting Gerry in this fight,” Roach said. “They think Gonz?lez is too big and strong for him. I don’t agree. I think Gerry ha
