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PE?ALOSA VOWS TO LEAD THE COUNTRY AGAINST THE 'INVADERS' PhilBoxing.com Thu, 03 Apr 2008 WORLD bantamweight champion Gerry Pe?alosa vowed to lead and defend the country?s turf against foreign invaders who likewise declared their readiness to ruin the weekend of Filipino boxing fans. Pe?alosa, 35, is set to make his first title defense against mandatory challenger and one time foe Ratanachai Sor Vorapin of Thailand Sunday morning in a 12-round title bout at the Araneta Coliseum. ?I have plan A, Plan B and Plan C for this fight. I don?t think my opponent has that kind of preparation,? said Pe?alosa when asked about his fight plans against his Thai challenger. For his part Vorapin said he learned his lessons very well the first time he fought Penalosa nearly eight years ago when both where still campaigning as a super flyweight. ?I know I can beat him and I proved that the first time we met. I became overconfident that time but this time I am well prepared to win this fight,? said Vorapin. A press conference was held this morning at the Manhattan Suites of the Gateway Mall attended by Pe?alosa and Vorapin as well as other fighters seeing action in the momentous card dubbed ?Invasion: Philippines vs. the World?. Seeing action in the undercard are one-time world title challenger Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista who will defend his WBO Asia-Pacific super bantamweight crown against Mexican Genaro Camargo, AJ Banal who will challenge world number two super flyweight Caril Herrera of Uruguay in an eliminator for the world #1 ranking, RP bantam champ Michael Domingo vs Thailand's Thepnimit Sor Chitpattana and veteran Bert Batawang takes on Indonesia's Heri Amol. Another unbeaten fighter, WBO Oriental and Asia-Pacific superbantam titlist Ciso "Kid Terrible" Morales will defend his title against South Korea's Yoo Shin Kim (6-1, 4 KO's). Vorapin, 31, defeated 12 Filipino fighters since losing to Penalosa via 6th round TKO last November 2000 at the Casino Filipino Amphitheater in Para?aque. 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. Pe?alosa 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. Pe?alosa 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. Potentially touted as the best match-up of the card is the battle of undefeated fighters Banal (16-0, 13 KO?s) and Herrera 21-0, 13 KO?s) as experts have been telling the Filipino camp to better be well-prepared as the Uruguay fighter is said to be his country?s best kept-secret. All fighters attended the press conference except Herrera who lost his way coming from the airport. Also on hand were Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) vice-president Eric Gomez, GBP COO David Itskowitch, ABS-CBN Vice-President for Sports Peter Musngi, ALA Boxing Executive Michael Aldeguer, Pe?alosa?s manager Billy Keane, Thai promoter Kokiet Panichayarom and WBO Asia-Pacific boss Leon Panoncillo. The card will be broadcast live in the Philippines and the world via ABS-CBN global network (TFC) in USA, Europe, Middle East, Japan, Australia, Guam and Hawaii. Broadcast begins at 10AM RP time and 6PM Pacific time in the US. |
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