LOS ANGELES – Filipino boxer Gerry Penalosa walked inside the Oscar De La Hoya Youth Center in Whittier, sporting a gym bag with the colors of the Philippine flag filled with boxing equipment.
He wanted everyone at the Golden Boy Promotions press conference to know he is ready to fight the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Super Bantamweight champion, Mexican-born fighter Daniel Ponce De Leon. The fight is scheduled on Saturday, March 17 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
“I’m ready, confident and have the style to beat Ponce,” said Penalosa.
The reigning WBF Super Flyweight Champion at 115-pounds, Penalosa will move up two weight classes and fight at 122-pounds for the chance to defeat Ponce De Leon for the WBO Super Bantamweight championship.
The fight is set to be a co-main event undercard for the headlining Super Featherweight title fight match between World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Featherweight Champion Marco Antonio Barrera against WBO Featherweight Champion Juan Manuel Marquez
Boxing rumor has it that the winner of the Barrera and Marquez fight could possibly face Manny Pacquiao in an upcoming bout.
Penalosa, hoping to achieve the same fame as Pacquiao, said Filipino boxing fans would become impressed when they see him fight against Ponce De Leon.
“I’m an impressive fighter,” said Penalosa. “My record speaks for itself.”
Penalosa goes into the fight with 16-years of ring experience and a record of 51-5-2 with 34 KOs. Ponce De Leon has a record of 30-1 with 28 KOs.
The 5’3”, 34-year-old Penalosa is set to prove what many boxing experts think will be a daunting task – defeating the younger, taller and heavier WBO Super Bantamweight champion 25-year-old Ponce De Leon.
Penalosa, from San Carlos City, Philippines, said he’s not worried about his opponent’s larger body frame.
“I’ve been fighting for so many years now,” he said. “I know I have the style to beat him.”
Penalosa’s co-manager Billy Keane speaking on behalf of his trainer Freddie Roach said that Gerry is the greatest technical fighter to come out of the Philippines.
“Freddie told me, technically, Gerry’s better than Pacquiao and the best technical fighter in the Philippines,” said Keane. “Gerry is a superb boxer who will outbox Ponce.”
“Freddie said look for Gerry to knock-out Ponce in the later rounds.”
Ponce De Leon’s boxing trainer Mario Yuca Morales said this match would not pass eight rounds.
“Penalosa looks really, really small,” Morales said through an interpreter. “I don’t think his legs can keep up with Ponce’s punching power.”
Ponce De Leon through an interpreter said he expects to win the fight.
“He [Penalosa] is a very good technical fighter,” said Ponce De Leon. “He has a really tight defensive guard and effective counter puncher. I’m just going to let my shots go, hope it lands and punch through his guard.”
Another undercard match will pit former “The Contender” TV show finalist Steve “2 Pounds” Forbes (32-4, 9 KOs) against Demetrius Hopkins (25-0, 10 KOs) in a junior welterweight bout. Hopkins is the nephew of former middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins.
Also in the card, up-and-coming Filipino boxer 27-year-old Diosdado Gabi (28-3-1 20 KOs) from Davao City, Philippines will fight Mexican Oscar Andrade (35-25-1 18 KOs). (www.asianjournal.com)
