GERRY PE?ALOSA hopes to relive his glory days when he battles Paraguay’s Dario Azuaga in a 10-round non-title fight this Saturday in Antipolo City.
The 31-year-old Azuaga, the reigning national bantamweight champion of Paraguay, parades a scary 66-6 win-loss record in a 12-year career. The many-time Hispanic bantamweight titlist has already scored 57 knockouts out of his 66 wins, 25 of which came in the first round.
Fighting mostly in Argentina and Paraguay, Azuaga swanks of several regional Hispanic bantamweight titles that include the WBC Mundo Hispanic, South American and WBO Latino belts.
In compiling an equally impressive record of 48-5-2 (33 KO’s), the southpaw Pe?alosa will actually be fighting in the bantamweight division for the fifth time in his distinguished 16-year professional career that was capped by his triumphant one-year reign as World Boxing Council (WBC) superflyweight king in 1997.
Pe?alosa had a botched 118lb debut in 1992, losing a split verdict to former Oriental champion Samuel Duran in a 12-round RP bantamweight title fight in Cebu.
Since then, Penalosa scored few but noteworthy victories in the bantamweight class against the likes of former Orient king Jess Maca, ex-WBC lightflyweight boss Rolando Pascua, and Thai journeyman Samingkao Chautipol.
Pe?alosa hopes to use this bout not just to boost his image but also as a legitimate launch pad to another shot at the world title, specifically against IBF bantamweight champion Rafael Marquez, one of many boxing superstars from Mexico.
“Gusto ko talaga ng magandang laban para malaman ko sa sarili ko kung pwede pa ako sa world title. Pero sa mga champion ngayon, si Marquez talaga ang gusto kong hamunin,” disclosed Pe?alosa during a break from his training.
Meanwhile, teenage boxing sensation Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista left for Los Angeles Sunday night with Cebuano trainer Edito Villamor to prepare for a 8-round non-title fight versus Mexican Gerardo Espinoza on Dec. 23 at the Sycuan Resort & Casino in El Cajon, California.
The 18-year-old Bautista, fresh from a 2nd round demolition of Tanzanian Obote Ameme last month in Bohol, will train under famed American guru Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym for the Espinosa battle.
