PE?ALOSA CHALLENGES LOPEZ TO STOP HIDING
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 13 Oct 2008
Perhaps learning from celebrated trainer Freddie Roach?s needling of Oscar De La Hoya who, after some pondering decided to take the fight against Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao despite criticism for picking on a much smaller fighter, Gerry Pe?alosa is using the same tactic to try and draw WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez into a title showdown.
In an interview with www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports after his featherweight prot?g? Michael Farenas disposed of a Thai patsy in 78 seconds last Saturday at a packed Mandaluyong City Gym, Pe?alosa said ?I want Juanma. No other than Juanma.?
Picking up the tempo of his rhetoric the WBO bantamweight champion challenged Lopez, the Puerto Rican sensation to ?stop hiding. I want to fight you.? Lopez has a record of 23-0 with 21 knockouts and won the title via a stunning first round KO of Daniel Ponce De Leon, the same fighter who beat Pe?alosa (53-6-2, 36 KO's) on points in a title fight last year.
Pe?alosa said he had told his manager Billy Keane to negotiate for a fight with Lopez, hopefully on the undercard of the ?Dream Match? between Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao and ?The Golden Boy? Oscar De La Hoya at the MGM Grand on December 6 and expressed the hope that ?the long wait will be over."
That's mainly because Pe?alosa hasn?t been able to come to terms with Golden Boy Promotions for a title defense against Nestor Rocha after a plan to stage the fight in Tubod, Lanao del Norte fell through because of the peace and order problems in the region. His scheduled mandatory defense against Abner Mares also had to be called off because Mares has to undergo surgery for a detatched retina and would be out for several months.
Keane told us in an overseas telephone conversation that he would discuss Pe?alosa?s request with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum who handles Lopez as well as Pacquiao himself.
Pe?alosa said he expects to know the outcome of Keane?s conversations in a couple of days even as he stressed that he is in continuous training and looking forward to a big fight in the US before winding down his career at the age of 36.
Pe?alosa continues to remain extremely popular with fight fans who gave him a rousing ovation when introduced during the Mandaluyong fight card where he was accompanied by his lovely wife Goody and her parents.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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