WILL THE THIRD TIME BE A CHARM?
By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 26 Apr 2009
Today, Saturday, April 25 will be the third time a Filipino will be fighting for a world title in span of 7 days. Gerry Penalosa is scheduled to trade leathers with JuanMa Lopez for the latter?s WBO super bantamweight title.
Will the third time be a charm?
Penalosa undoubtedly will have a tough fight ahead of him. His encounter with Lopez, pundits stated, will be more than doubly hard than those Nonito Donaire, Jr. and Brian Viloria had last weekend at the Araneta Coliseum in the Philippines.
And, it could also be harder than what Manny Pacquiao may experience next Saturday at the MGM Grand at Las Vegas.
But Penalosa, the sly fox of Philippine boxing is not concerned at all. And, he is confident as can be.
Penalosa fully believes that his experience, let alone his superb boxing style is more than enough to offset whatever Lopez can bring to the ring.
Lopez, owing to the results of his previous fights only two of which have reached the distance (one was a six rounder and another an 8 rounder both in 2006) have never been tested to the limit. The closest he got on going a full 12 rounds was a 10th TKO victory over Hugo Dianzo in Chicago last August of 2007.
Experience-wise, Penalosa then has an advantage.
But Lopez is pure power as he has demonstrated in his victories in his last three fights last year which all ended in the first round. The most remembered of course being his TKO of Daniel Ponce de Leon at the Boardwalk in New Jersey. Ponce at that time was undefeated and was on his way to stardom.
So tonight?s fight will be the defensive strategist and a superb counter puncher against a forward moving power puncher.
Lopez thinks that Penalosa will suffer his first KO in his hands. But Penalosa on his part is saying that Lopez will be in for a big surprise.
Such confidence in both gladiators can only result in an excellent fight.
For Lopez a victory particularly in front of his home crowd will undoubtedly be his ticket to future bigger things.
For Penalosa, we hope number 3 will be magical. If he wins, it will be his third world title and a sure listing in the Hall of Fame. He will also be the third Filipino to win/keep a title in as many tries.
Surely, that will make the third time, a charm.
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