FARENAS LOOKS TO WIN BIG
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 27 Dec 2008
Hard-hitting featherweight Michael Farenas is looking to win big in his battle with Thailand?s Sunan Thosen at the Mandaluyong Gym in an exciting fight card promoted by WBO world bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa and Mayor Benhur Abalos.
On the eve of the fights WBC founding secretary general Rudy Salud was able to convince former two-division world champion Dodie Boy Penalosa and Gerry Penalosa to retain Dodie Boy?s son, Dodie Boy Jr in the amateur ranks with an eye on the 2012 London Olympic Games.
www.insidesports.ph initially broached the idea to the Penalosa brothers after consulting with both newly elected Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines chairman Manny Pangilinan and president Ricky Vargas who agreed to take care of the promising 18 year old bantamweight.
We were burning the lines Friday evening during a meeting with Salud and the Penalosa brothers to secure the assistance and advice of former ABAP president, now vice president Manny Lopez on how to allow Penalosa to fight on Saturday?s card but to retain his amateur status.
With the help of Rogelio Fortaleza who quickly found an amateur referee and three judges and would provide the usual headgear worn by amateurs as well as the gloves for the four round bout, Gerry Penalosa was able to secure an amateur bantamweight boxer to fight Dodie Boy Jr through the help of Jay San Pedro of the Tiger City Gym and matchmaker Jimmy Narvaez.
Salud was pleased with the response of the Penalosa brothers who agreed with the desire to keep Dodie Boy Jr in the amateur ranks while Vargas expressed his thanks for the concerted effort to strengthen the quest for Olympic gold.
Fortaleza disclosed that the Filipino's Cuban trainers were very impressed with the young Penalosa even as Fortaleza said he was truly a great prospect.
Meantime, Farenas who won three fights in succession in the US, is hoping to score an impressive win and then go after a world rated featherweight as a prelude to a possible title fight.
Farenas has a ring record of 23?2-2 with 20 knockouts while his Thai opponent who vowed to battle the Filipino southpaw all the way has a reported record of 13-5-0 qith 4 knockouts.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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