Gerry Penalosa is the oldest boxer on Saturday night’s team-styled card at Arco Arena between the Philippines and Mexico. He also may be the show’s best boxer.
At least, that was the opinion of trainer Freddie Roach during a local training session Tuesday at the Washington Neighborhood Center.
“I’ve been working with fighters from the Philippines a long time,” Roach said. “And as popular as Manny Pacquiao is over there, Gerry is the best pure, textbook boxer ever to come out of that country.”
Penalosa, 35, is part of the Team Philippines squad that will battle Team Mexico for the second Boxing World Cup championship in a best-of-seven format.
In his bout, Penalosa (51-6-2, 34 knockouts) is the challenger in one of two title fights. He will face Jhonny Gonz?lez (34-5, 29 KOs) for the World Boxing Organization bantamweight title. The 25-year-old, 118-pound champion from Mexico, whose first name was misspelled at birth, is a solid favorite.
“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 has a good chance of winning.”
Penalosa thinks so, too.
In fact, the wily veteran thought he deserved better in his last title fight, a unanimous decision loss in March to Mexico’s World Boxing Organization junior-featherweight champion Daniel Ponce De Leon (31-1, 28 KOs). De Leon is in the other Arco title fight, risking his 122-pound belt at Arco against Penalosa teammate Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista (23-0, 17 KOs).
“(Gonz?lez) too strong for me? I think I’m pretty strong, too,” said Penalosa with a smile. “Freddie and I have a plan to beat him. Because he’s a young, growing fighter, he may even have trouble making weight.”
The first of eight bouts, presented by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, begins at 3:45 p.m. Arco officials said they have received requests for 90 press credentials, many of them from the Philippines.
Team Mexico will work out at 5:30 p.m. today in front of Nordstrom at Arden Fair Mall.
Raley revision
Promoter Patrick Ortiz of Santa Rosa has made a switch in the main event for Friday night’s card at Raley Field. Substituted for a heavyweight matchup is an eight-rounder between junior lightweights Eloy Perez (9-0-1) of Salinas and Carlos Vinan (7-4) of Newark, N.J. The first of seven bouts begins at 7:30 p.m.
