THERE are still a number of golden opportunities in store for world bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa should he successfully defend his crown this Sunday.
According to Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) Public Relations director Ramiro Gonzalez, every available marquee fight for Penalosa fights under their banner.
?Gerry is still good for a few more years because he is a very disciplined fighter. Easily he can still extend his career for up to two years and I believe he can achieve that,? said Gonzalez who flew in to Manila three days ago.
Gonzalez said Penalosa?s number one target remains to be World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce De Leon of Mexico.
But first things first Penalosa, 35, must hurdle his mandatory challenger Ratanachai Sor Vorapin of Thailand this Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum. At stake is the Filipino?s WBO bantamweight crown.
Gonzalez said the GBP fighters whom Penalosa can look forward to facing aside from Ponce De Leon are 122-lb champion Israel Vasquez, former two-division champion Rafael Marquez of Mexico. Even Mexican superstar Jorge Arce, though fighting under TOP Rank, is said to be interested in challenging Penalosa.
?Arce and Vasquez wants a piece of Gerry. They know how big Gerry is in this division but of course he needs to score a convincing win this Sunday,?said Gonzalez.
Penalosa yesterday opened his newly-built gym at the Marketplace Shopping Mall in Mandaluyong City where he also did some light training.
?Nasa 122 lbs na ako. Hindi ako pwede magkumpiyansa kasi alam ko desidido din siya manalo. Kailangan ko din ihiganti ang mga kababayan natin na tinalo niya,? said Penalosa.
Vorapin, 31, defeated 12 Filipino fighters since losing to Penalosa via 6th round TKO last November 2000 at the Casino Filipino Amphitheater in Paranaque. In between Vorapin held the WBO bantamaweight crown which he defended it once before losing it to Mexican Jhonny Gonzalez via 7th round TKO last October 2005 in Arizona.
Penalosa meanwhile won the crown by stopping Gonzalez in the 7th round with a single shot to the body in a title bout held August of last year at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California.
Penalosa has a record of 52-6-2 with 35 knockouts while Vorapin is already a veteran of 81 fights, winning 72 of them, 48 by KO?s.
