HOLLYWOOD ? Manny Pacquiao is calling on Gerry Pe?alosa to hang up his gloves.
Pacquiao took it with a heavy heart after watching his dear friend drop a one-sided contest against reigning WBO super-bantamweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez Friday evening in the latter?s hometown in Puerto Rico.
?I felt so uneasy as early as the first round. My hands were sweating,? said Pacquiao as he emerged from the bedroom of his posh La Palazzo apartment where he caught a live coverage of the fight.
?Gerry moved well but Juan Manuel was too tall for him, and stronger, too. But I?m happy with his showing. He didn?t go down,? said Pacquiao of Pe?alosa, at 36 years old just trying to turn back the clock.
Pacquiao said Freddie Roach, who had to fly to Puerto Rico just to be in Pe?alosa?s corner, made the right call when he ordered the stoppage of the fight before the start of the 10th round.
Roach was overheard saying during the TV telecast that he would stop the fight if Pe?alosa, a 7-1 underdog, can?t take Lopez out in the ninth round.
Pacquiao was asked what should be the best move for Pe?alosa.
?I think he should retire. For me, that?s it because he?s been in boxing for so long (close to 20 years). He should retire because there?s nothing more to prove,? he said of Pe?alosa, a former champion in the super-flyweight and bantamweight divisions.
?I think he would think that way, too. I think that should be it. I think this was his last fight. He himself told me,? Pacquiao added.
But word coming from Puerto Rico said Pe?alosa is being offered a fight against either Fernando Montiel or Eric Morel who will square off on June 27 in New Jersey for the title vacated by the Filipino fighter.
And that Pe?alosa might consider.
Lopez, at 5?7? three inches taller and 11 years younger than Pe?alosa, was all over the gallant Filipino southpaw, who had to give up his WBO bantamweight crown just to get a shot at the undefeated Puerto Rican. Pe?alosa took a terrible beating although he never appeared to be on the verge of going down. One of the commentators said, ?It?s amazing how he could withstand all the punishment.?
The final punchstat told the whole story. Lopez threw a total of 863 power punches and landed 421, including a punchstat record of 70 power punches in the sixth round, compared to Pe?alosa who threw 287, landing only 73.
Midway through the fight, the number of power punches landed by Lopez exceeded the number of punches thrown by Pe?alosa.
Numbers don?t lie in boxing. Well, at least, most of the time.
