Gerry Pe?alosa’s former managers Tony Aldeguer and Rex (Wakee) Salud said yesterday moving up in weight is his biggest drawback in challenging WBO super bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce de Leon of Mexico at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas tonight (tomorrow morning, Manila time).
“The weight difference is the most critical factor in the fight,” said Aldeguer who was in Pe?alosa’s corner when he turned pro in 1989. “It will take a toll on Gerry in the late rounds. The only way Gerry can win is by decision. I think he can win but that will depend on how de Leon fights.”
Aldeguer explained that Pe?alosa, a counterpuncher, has difficulty landing on opponents who fight from a distance and do not engage.
“How the fight will end is tough to predict,” said Aldeguer. “The first few rounds will give us an idea. De Leon is known to fight from outside. If he doesn’t come in, Gerry will have a problem because his punches are short. De Leon is a former Olympian who can punch. But in terms of skill, Gerry is much better. I don’t think de Leon has fought anyone as skilled as Gerry before.”
Salud, who took Pe?alosa to the WBC super flyweight throne in 1997, said de Leon is just too big for the San Carlos City southpaw to handle.
Pe?alosa, 34, is a natural super flyweight (115 pounds) who is invading the super bantamweight (122) ranks for a crack at a second crown. He is skipping the bantamweight (118) division to face de Leon.
“This is Gerry’s last card,” said Salud. “Before he left for the US, Gerry told me he likes his chances because he thinks de Leon’s style is tailor-made for him. Gerry won’t run, that’s not his style. But to beat de Leon, he has to fight in and out because he can’t afford to get hit hard. Gerry has to be smart and toy with de Leon, frustrate him. The problem is I don’t think Gerry can hurt de Leon and I’m not sure if Gerry can take the punch of a much bigger opponent.”
Salud said another critical factor is stamina.
“In Gerry’s last two fights, I noticed he slowed down and became less aggressive in the late rounds,” said Salud. “He can’t afford to slow down against de Leon. I would’ve preferred Gerry to train with Manny (Pacquiao) but Gerry has worked very hard in the gym so he should be prepared for a long fight.”
Salud said it’s 50-50 and a Pe?alosa upset can’t be discounted.
“This will be an interesting fight,” said Salud. “Gerry agreed to fight de Leon even if he’s smaller because this could be his last chance for another world title. He can’t wait any longer.”
Las Vegas bookmakers installed de Leon a 10-1 favorite, Pe?alosa’s wife Goody confirmed to The STAR in an overseas phone call yesterday. The betting line reportedly showed that a $100 bet on Pe?alosa will win $160 and a $200 wager on de Leon will win $100.
Aldeguer said the weight factor was critical in causing the downfall of Erik Morales against Pacquiao and Diego Corrales against Jose Luis Castillo.
“If you blow up in weight, you become sluggish because it’s not your natural weight,” said Aldeguer. “Gerry is moving up two weight classes to fight de Leon. To be conservative and cautious, my odds are 50-50 although I’d like it to be 60-40 for Gerry. Buchoy (Gorres) told me Gerry has a big chance to win. Buchoy has sparred with de Leon and he trained with Gerry in Florida for several months so he knows them both. I want Gerry to win, of course, but the danger is de Leon’s size. I think de Leon can beat Gerry by points or knockout while Gerry can only win by decision.”
