IT WAS Thursday afternoon in sunny Florida (Friday morning in Manila) when the phone rang and ex-world champion Gerry Pe?alosa excitedly and hurriedly answered the phone. Later on, as he put back the phone, he appeared dispirited as if he was robbed of another clear victory.
But it was more than that, perhaps more painful than losing a game fair and square.
It was what he had feared all along. But since it was the second time that it happened to him, it was really depressing.
Pe?alosa had been booked to appear in a 10-round bout with Colombian Reynaldo Hurtado inPompano Beach, Florida, and had been preparing well for his return to the ring on May 27. But there was no more fight, trainer James “Buddy” McGirt told him on the phone.
Pe?alosa, who’s been staying in the US since Feb. 8 in the hopes of being given another big break, told the Bulletin yesterday afternoon that he was already dressed up to report for the official weighin when McGirt told him of the sad news.
“Tinanong ko kung ano ang dahilan bakit hindi matutuloy ang laban at ang sabi sa akin ni Coach (McGirt) ay humihingi daw ng malaking premyo ang kalaban ko kaya’t hindi natuloy,” said Pe?alosa, who left behind in Manila his partner Goody Llido in a bid to get back into the spotlight.
In desperation, Pe?alosa begged that half of his prize money be given to Hurtado so the fight could go on as scheduled. Pe?alosa said he was assured a purse of $15,000 for the Hurtado fight.
“Hindi ko na alam kung ano ang gagawin ko dito. Depress na talaga ako dahil ang buong akala ko ay talagang mayroon na akong laban tapos sasabihin sa akin wala naman pala.”
“Pangalawa na nga ito kasi dapat lalaban din ako last May 7 pero hindi rin natuloy. Naghihintay na nga lang ako ng tawag dito para malaman kung ano ang aking dapat gawin,” said the 32-year-old Negros-born, Cebu-honed southpaw.
Pe?alosa, who has only fought twice since being denied of regaining the World Boxing Council (WBC) super-flyweight title in December 2002 in Osaka, made it to the US with the help of former chief handler Rudy Salud.
But Pe?alosa was then brought to the stewardship of New Jersey-based promoter Murad Muhammad, who Pe?alosa has not seen since March.
Pe?alosa actually left Manila with Z Gorres in February and the two resided in a gym operated by McGirt, who once held the world super-lightweight crown in the 1990s.
Unlike Pe?alosa, Gorres was able to see action once, needing less than a round to dispose of California-based Filipino Nonito Donaire underneath the Manny Pacquiao-Erik Morales super-feather headliner at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on March 19.
Gorres stayed behind and hoped for another fight, but was forced to fly back to the country after sensing that there was no fight in sight. Gorres, co-managed by Salud and Tony Aldeguer, is now back in the gym in Cebu training for a fight being lined up soon.
Pe?alosa holds a 48-5-2 win-loss-draw card with 33 knockouts, while Hurtado, 36, and nicknamed “El Doberman”, sports a 36-6-1 slate with 27 stoppages.
“Sana naman sabihin na sa akin kung ano ang dapat kong gawin. Hindi ko alam kung mananatili pa ako rito o kaya ay bumalik na sa Pilipinas,” pleaded Pe?alosa, sounding thrilled that he was talking with someone calling from his homeland.
