AGE AND EXPERIENCE IS ON PENALOSA?S SIDE
By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 29 Mar 2008
The French and Italians say that cheese like precious wine get better with age. Lately, the same seem to be true of boxers who hugged the limelight in the past weeks.
Will 38-year old Gerry Penalosa follow suit on April 6th?
First it was Nate Campbell, an ?old man? at age 36 when compared to the young fighter whose three title belts he took away via a close split decision. Campbell dethroned 24 year-old Juan ?Baby Bull? Diaz at Cancun, Mexico. The defeat for Diaz was bitter sweet. Bitter, because Campbell not only took away his belts but in the process gave Diaz his first defeat. Sweet, because finally Diaz is free from the controlling grasp of Don King. Lately he signed with Golden Boy Promotions who he says is far better that his past promoter, King.
Then last week, the Cuban oldster, Joel Casamayor showed the very young and aggressive Michael Katsidis of Australia that age and experience can sometimes rule over youth, power and speed. Casamayor appeared to be on his way to defeat until he threw a counter left that landed flushed on the face of Katsidis and dropped him at a neutral corner. Although he stood up for an 8 count, the end was inevitable. A few seconds later, the referee stopped the fight and saved Katsidis from further harm.
The only other ?old? man of note that failed to win in the past two weeks was 34-year old Juan Manuel Marquez. Marquez lost a very close 1 point split decision to Manny Pacquiao. Had Pacquiao not landed that left shot in round 3 that dropped Marquez on his butt, the outcome of the fight could at least be a draw. Yes, it was that close, and you guys know it too!
Now what will be the fortune of 37 year old Gerry Penalosa who is defending his WBO bantamweight title on April 6th against an old nemesis from Thailand, Ratnachai Sor Vorapin?
Will he duplicate the feats of Casamayor and Campbell or will he be a Juan Manuel Marquez?
From the looks of it, seems that Gerry Penalosa will follow the path taken by Campbell and Casamayor. After all, Sor Vorapin is not a stranger to Penalosa. Penalosa holds a victory over him. In 2000, he won via 6th round TKO over the tough Thai. That, plus the fact that he will be defending his WBO title for the first time in front of his adoring fans at the Araneta Coliseum at Quezon City, Philippines will definitely inspire him to take the route the two ?older? boxers took in the past two weeks.
But the tough Thai is no push over. He holds a string of victories in his last few fights and his only KO loss was to Jhonny Gonzales and Penalosa. And, he is known to be an aggressive forward moving fighter who will take a punch just to give one.
So on April 6th we will all find out if Penalosa, like cheese and wine really got better with age. My guess is he did. And, my money goes with that too.
Top photo: Gerry Pe?alosa (L) with wife Goody in a file photo.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.
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