PENALOSA UNDECIDED ON FIGHT AGAINST NESTOR ROCHA
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 20 Jun 2008
WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa is undecided on whether or not to accept an offer of a tune-up fight against Nestor Rocha on the undercard of the battle between lightweight champion Joel Casamayor and former WBC super featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez on September 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Penalosa had wanted the Philippine television rights on top of his purse offer which he revealed was $100,000 but was informed by his manager Billy Keane that the TV rights had already been acquired by the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN during the visit of Golden Boy Promotions officials and Marquez for the ?Invasion? fight card last April.
Penalosa told Viva Sports he was asking Keane to negotiate a higher purse since Rocha was no pushover with a fight record of 18-1 with 6 knockouts and that Keane told him he would try to negotiate with Golden Boy for a bigger amount.
Penalosa indicated that Rocha was a fighter of Golden Boy but at the same time hinted at his concern over time running out on him.
In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today Keane said Penalosa wants the big fights and he understands that but unfortunately Daniel Ponce De Leon lost and that fight wont happen anymore.
However, Keane said they were talking to former world champion Rafael Marquez but the possibility is ?that fight will happen later in the year and an outside chance that a fight with champion Israel Vasquez can may happen next year.? Keane said there is no possibility of a fight against newly-crowned WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez or even Mexican warrior Jorge Arce saying ?its not there for him (Penalosa).?
Keane said he hopes Penalosa will take the Rocha fight because ?I need Gerry to be seen on US TV because it will be much easier to make these bigger fights happen if people see him.? He pointed out that the Rocha fight would be on a major pay-per-view show and if Gerry looks impressive people are going to want to see him again.?
The only loss of Rocha, the 25 year old American from California, was a six round unanimous decision to Jonas Hernandez on September 7, 2007. Rocha quickly came back from the loss to score a ninth round TKO win over Cesar Morales on November 2, 2007.
Penalosa who turns 36 on August 7 has a record of 53-6-2 with 36 knockouts. After dropping a twelve round unanimous decision to Ponce De Leon in a title fight on arch 17, 2007 Penalosa came back to win the WBO bantamweight crown with a spectacular one-punch knockout of Jhonny Gonzalez on August 11 last year. He then scored an eighth round TKO victory over former champion Ratanachai Sor Vorapin of Thailand in a title defense last April 6.
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