JUANMA PASSES ACID TEST
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 26 Apr 2009
BAYAMON, Puerto Rico ? It was a collision between an irresistible force and an immovable object but revered trainer Freddie Roach stopped the show before everyone else was able to find out who finally gave in.
Puerto Rican WBO superbantam champion and star-in-making Juan Manuel 'JuanMa' Lopez, one of the most fearsome punchers in the sport today, pounded two-time world champion, fearless warrior and defensive specialist Gerry Penalosa of the Philippines with bombs that broke all power punching records in the super bantamweight division all night at the full house Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez here but failed to stop the wily veteran who even gave some anxious moments to the awe-strucked Puerto Rican crowd.
Penalosa and Roach planned to survive Lopez's early onslaught in order to get back at the boricua in the later rounds expecting that Lopez, who only once reached the 10th round in his 24 outings most of which were finished in less than six rounds, saw their plan materialized before their eyes when JuanMa threw punches at Gerry without letup right from the opening bell and up until the 5th round.
Gerry did survive those harrowing five rounds, effectively rolling with the punches that got in and deftly blocking and ducking the rest. Many in the press row at ringside felt that JuanMa will be in trouble in the later rounds when he loses his stamina due to his very high work rate. This fight could be another Ali-Foreman in the making when Ali stopped Foreman in the 8th round in Zaire after Foreman exhausted all his bombs in the earlier rounds.
Beginning in the sixth round and up until the end of the 9th, JuanMa refused to cooperate with the script and completely threw Roach and Penalosa's plan out of the window as Lopez kept on throwing bombs after bombs at Gerry sending the Filipino veteran in trouble several times which amazes many people on Lopez's stamina and endurance. Lopez appeared to be tired only once, in the 7th round, but quickly recovered to continue the onslaught in the 8th and the 9th. Penalosa, however, although outclassed and clearly losing the fight on points at the end of the ninth canto, appeared ready to go the full route, which also amazes the crowd who now realizes they are witnessing a classic of a fight.
Roach, however, told Penalosa not answer the bell for the 10th round.
JUANMA WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG
Lopez told the media during last Wednesday's press conference that ?if it takes 12 rounds for me to win the fight against Penalosa, I will go 12 rounds.? And, answering the critics who said he was untested because most his fights ended early, he said ?it was not my fault that most of my fights ended early.?
In a sense, this fight is really about Lopez and how he would perform in this fight. After his thumping of Penalosa Saturday night, he had removed any remaining doubt as to where he belongs ? to the top of the super bantamweight division and probably a new entrant to the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world.
ROACH: JUANMA IS THE BEST IN THE DIVISION
?We expected him to tire in the later rounds but he didn't,? Roach told the media in the post-fight press conference. ?That's why we lost the fight.? Roach then went on to praise JuanMa saying ?he's a complete fighter and he is the best in the division.?
Answering to questions as to why he had stopped the fight after the ninth round, Roach said ?I could have stopped the fight earlier but I have much respect for Gerry and his ability so I allowed him to go further. But there is no point in finishing the fight because we're losing it.?
PENALOSA BROUGHT TO HOSPITAL
As a precaution, Penalosa was brought to the San Pablo Hospital in Bayamon where his facial bones, neck and chest were x-rayed. He was also put into CT-Scan and had a physical checkup. He was completely cleared by the doctors.
SPECTATOR SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK DURING THE FIGHT
In the same hospital, a lady in wheelchair accompanied by her husband introduced herself to us and said that she was earlier rushed to the hospital because she suffered a mild heart attack after watching the Lopez-Penalosa fight in the arena. ?I couldn't breathed as I watched the fight. I was so worried about him,? the lady said pointing to Penalosa.
PENALOSA ALSO A WINNER
Penalosa's quest for a third title in as many divisions ended in failure in Bayamon but having put up a gritty performance against one of boxing's future stars, Penalosa, who was loudly booed by the noisy Puerto Rican crowd when he entered the arena and when he was introduced, captured the hearts and respect of Puerto Ricans so much so that he was loudly cheered after the fight and when he exited the venue.
Top photo: Juan Manuel Lopez of Puerto Rico celebrates after a victory of the gritty Gerry Penalosa of the Philippines at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Puerto Rico Saturday night.
Penalosa (L) and Lopez during the post-fight press conference at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Puerto Rico Saturday night.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
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