ROACH SAYS BANAL IS THE BEST YOUNG PROSPECT IN THE WORLD
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 15 Aug 2007
Celebrated trainer Freddie Roach says undefeated super flyweight AJ ?Bazooka? Banal who scored a smashing third round TKO over touted Mexican Jorge Cardenas ?is the best young prospect in the world.?
Roach said Banal knocked out ?a real good opponent and he hit him so hard the guy broke his leg? saying that ?when the guy went down he folded and broke his leg.?
He also was full of praise for Philippine bantamweight champion Michael Domingo who scored a shutout over previously undefeated Mexican star Miguel Roman who was 22-0 with 16 knockouts. Roach said they call him ?the next (Julio Cesar) Chavez but Domingo pitched a shutout.?
Roach noted that almost everybody expected Domingo to lose to Roman, a prot?g? of Golden Boy, ?except me?. Roach described Domingo as ?a good, little fighter. I saw him in the gym and he was great. He?s much better than his record which is very deceiving.?
Roach said he is arriving in Manila aboard a Philippine Airlines flight from Los Angeles on Thursday morning along with newly crowned WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa who scored a stunning seventh round knockout over Jhonny Gonzales.
Twice chosen as the ?Trainer of the Year? Roach said Penalosa was an intelligent boxer who fought a great fight. Roach said they have received offers for a rematch adding ?I am not sure whether we?ll take that or what weight class we?ll fight at.?
Roach said ?I?d like Gerry to have a defense in the Philippines and then fight (WBO super bantamweight champion) Daniel Ponce De Leon after that. Win or lose he?ll retire.? Penalosa himself told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today prior to his departure that he was hungry to win a world title once more and then retire after one title defense.
Right after Ponce De Leon scored a first round KO over mandatory challenger Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista, the Mexican warrior said he was prepared to give Penalosa who lost a unanimous points decision to him last March 17, a rematch in the Philippines.
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