AFTER four failed attempts to win the world title, Gerry Pe?alosa now has all the reasons to face the Cebuanos.
Winning the World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight title gave the 35-year-old Pe?alosa the courage.
“Sa una mauwaw man gud ko’g balik diri sa Cebu kay di man ko world champion. Karon balik nako kay world champion na man sab ko (Before, I was reluctant to go back to Cebu because I was no longer a world champion.
But now I am here, proud, because I am a world champion again),” Pe?alosa said during the press conference held at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel yesterday.
Pe?alosa defeated Mexican Johnny Gonzales by a seventh round knockout to grab the WBO 118-pound belt last Aug. 12, in one of the two world title events of the Boxing World Cup at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California.
Meanwhile, super-featherweight superstar Manny Pacquiao started to load up his training regimen, with the addition of a sparring session starting yesterday.
Pacquiao sparred a good three rounds with Los Angeles-based Mexican David Rodela when he started to feel his rhythm flowing.
Yesterday was the first sparring session Pacquiao had since he fought Mexican Jose Solis last April 15 in San Antonio, Texas.
However, lightweight campaigner Rodela (7-1-2, 4KOs), who has been his regular sparring partner since he fought Morales for the first time in 2005, was not yet in tiptop shape following a 24-hour flight from Los Angeles to Cebu.
“I am sorry I failed the expectations but I had a hard time adjusting to the weather. I can hardly breathe plus the long plane ride and the jet lag. But next time, I will do well,” Rodela said after the three-round session.
Pacquiao was relentless, pushing the taller sparring mate to the ropes most of the time, using excellent body shots and precise jabs.
Celebrated boxing trainer Freddie Roach targeted a total of 120 rounds of sparring before Pacquiao will be 100 percent ready to face Marco Antonio Barrera once again on Oct. 6 in Mandalay Bay Hotel and Resort Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
On Wednesday, another sparring partner will arrive from Los Angeles, Raymundo “Sugar” Beltran, a lightweight fighter born in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico and currently residing in Phoenix, Arizona.
“(And) there are two more on standby, waiting for my call to come here. One is Speedy Gonzales and the other is Urbano Antillon,” Roach told Sun.Star-Cebu.
Beltran stands at 5’8” with a 27-inch reach and carries a professional ring record of 20 wins and three losses, 12 wins coming by way of knockout.
Gonzales, who started his career as a super-flyweight fighter, is as tall as Pacquiao with a reach of 28.5 inches.
Currently fighting in the 130lbs division, Gonzales holds a 26-1, 18KOs ring record and his lone defeat was handed by Johnny Gonzales three years ago.
Urbano, meanwhile, is an undefeated slugger born in Nimiquipa, Mexico and currently living in Maywood, California.
At 5’7” and with a 28-inch reach, Urbano is unscathed in 19 professional fights—–with 12 wins by knockout.
Roach is making Pacquiao’s training regimen tougher before they go back to the US for the final phase of the preparation.
Today, Pacquiao’s road work will include an uphill stretch from Pardo to the Alta Vista golf course.
Meanwhile, Pe?alosa announced his intention to challenge WBO super-bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce de Leon one more time before he hangs up his gloves for good.
However, he left the decision to his management team—Freddie Roach and boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao.
“If I were to decide, I want to fight against de Leon but I don’t hold that discretion. I am willing to do what my management team is going to tell me,” said the former WBC super-flyweight champion.
Roach, however, is also sold to the idea of Pe?alosa taking de Leon one more time, but not immediately.
“I love to have that fight, but I think the best thing for Gerry (now) is to have one more fight before facing Ponce de Leon again,” said Roach during a press conference at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel.
Pacquiao shares Roach’s view.
“I agree with Coach Freddie. Gerry should fight a not so very tough fighter before he takes on de Leon,” he said.
But Pe?alosa’s former manager and Cebuano promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud has another thing in mind.
“For me it is best for Gerry to unify all the bantamweight titles, where he has a good chance of uniting all the belts.
There is no more to prove; he did well against De Leon although he lost but to many he won that fight,” Salud said.
The Cebu City Council is expected to honor Pe?alosa and young fighter AJ “Bazooka” Banal for their recent achievements.
“We will honor them as the most outstanding personalities in the field of sports during the Charter Day celebration,” City Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem said.
