PE?ALOSA PICKS MARES OVER ROCHA FOR TITLE DEFENSE
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 02 Sep 2008
World Boxing Organization bantamweight champion Gerry Pe?alosa has picked undefeated 22 year old Mexican Abner Mares over Nestor Rocha for his next title defense.
The Mares showdown is a mandatory title defense and Pe?alosa is hoping the fight can be on the Manny Pacquiao-Oscar De La Hoya undercard at the MGM Grand on December 6.
Pe?alosa told www.insidesports.ph, Manila Standard and Viva Sports that his manager Billy Keane had called him and said there were two offers on the table from Golden Boy Promotions.
1. To defend his title against Nestor Rocha for a purse of $150,000, possibly on the undercard of the IBF/IBO welterweight title fight between Paul Malignaggi and Britain's Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton at the MGM Grand on November 22.
2. Face No. 1 ranked Abner Mares who has a record of 10 knockouts in 17 wins with no defeats also at the MGM Grand but on the megabuck fight between Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao and "The Golden Boy" Oscar De La Hoya for a much bigger purse of $250,000.
Pe?alosa, the 36 year old southpaw with a record of 53-6-2 with 36 knockouts said his choice was Mares, adding ?I am confident I can beat him.?
Pe?alosa was earlier scheduled to fight Rocha in Tubod, Lanao del Norte but the plan was scuttled after trouble broke out in the region.
Pe?alosa who won the world title with a stunning one-punch knockout of Jhonny Gonzales in the Philippines vs Mexico World Cup and then successfully defended his title over former world champion Ratanachai Sor Vorapin via an eighth round TKO at the Araneta Coliseum last April 6.
Pe?alosa realizes that if he fights on the Pacquiao-De La Hoya card he will be pushed out of the limelight but the huge pay-per-view audience and the purse would make it worthwhile.
Mares, a 2004 Olympian scored a second round TKO over Filipino Diosdado Gabi last March 15. He is coming off a ten round unanimous decision over Jonathan Arias and is regarded as one of the most promising young fighters in the stable of Golden Boy Promotions.
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