PUNCHER FROM THE PAST: CARL (Carlos) PENALOSA Snr.
By Eric Armit
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 01 Nov 2023
CARL (Carlos) PENALOSA Snr.
Born Philippines 2 March 1938
Fought from August 1962 to March 1967
Record 29 fights 11 wins 12 losses 6 draws although this record may be incomplete
Philippines lightweight and super lightweight champion
Beat: Peedro Adigue (future WBC super lightweight champion), Mario Rossito (WBA/WBC super lightweight title challenger), Rocky Alarde, Arthur Persley
Lost to: Adigue, Alarde, Persley, Stan Harrington, Rene Barrientos (future WBC super featherweight champion, Roberto Cruz (future WBA super lightweight champion,
Drew: Rossito, Alarde, Peter Cobblah, Cruz, Takeshi Fuji,
-Stablemate of Gabriel “Flash Elorde”
Penalosa fought at a time when Filipino boxing was at a low ebb and although not an outstanding Puncher from the Past his legacy as patriarch of an amazing boxing family earns him a place in this series. Two of Carl’s younger brothers did not turn pro but boxed for the Philippine Army team.
Three of his sons boxed professionally: Dodie, Gerry and Jonathan.
Diosdado (Dodie) Penalosa
1982 Philippines light flyweight champion
1983 OPBF light flyweight champion
1983-1986 inaugural IBF light flyweight champion*
1987 IBF flyweight champion*
First Filipino two-division champion*
*Dodie achieved all of this despite having a withered leg from polio as a child
Quote from Dodie’s manager
“Penalosa is a humble gladiator, and a testament to bravery, courage, and that nothing is impossible to those that believe and work hard to achieve their goals”.
Gerry Penalosa
2000 WBC International super flyweight champion
2002 NABF super flyweight champion
1997 First Filipino holder of a sanctioning body (WBC)super flyweight title
2007 WBO Bantamweight champion
Freddie Roach described Gerry as the best skilled Filipino boxer ever.
Jonathan Penalosa
1989 WBC International Champion
1992 WBA Flyweight title challenger
Dodie Boy Pumar Penalosa- son of Dodie Boy
Amateur record 27-0 2-time National Amateur Champion
Professional Record 2010 to 2016 19-0 so retired unbeaten as both an amateur and a pro
Dave Penalosa-Son of Dodie Boy
Currently active with a 17-1 record
Carl is one Puncher from the Past who whilst not achieving greatness as a fighter as a family patriarch has contributed a great deal to Filipino boxing. It has been a long journey from the days when he wore slippers on his hands because he could not afford punch mitts and whose training methods for his sons included punching wood and old tyres and tying them to trees for sit-up routines.
About the Author
Born in Scotland, Eric Armit started working with Boxing News magazine in the UK in the late 1960’s initially doing records for their Boxing News Annual and compiling World, European and Commonwealth ratings for the magazine. He wrote his first feature article for Boxing News in 1973 and wrote a “World Scene” weekly column for the magazine from the late 1970’s until 2004. Armit wrote a monthly column for Boxing Digest in the USA and contributed pieces to magazines in Mexico, Italy, Australia, Spain, Argentina and other countries. Armit now writes a Weekly Report covering every major fight around the world and a bi-weekly Snips & Snipes column plus occasional general interest articles with these being taken up by boxing sites around the world. He was a member of the inaugural WBC Ratings Committee and a technical advisor to the EBU Ratings Committee and was consulted by John McCain’s research team when they were drafting the Ali Act. He is a Director and former Chairman of the Commonwealth Boxing Council. Armit has been nominated to the International Boxing Hall of Fame the past two years (2019 and 2020) to which he said, “Being on the list is an unbelievably huge honour.”
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eric Armit.
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