CAN PENALOSA EVADE THE HANDS OF STEEL?
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 15 Dec 2009
Former two division world champion Gerry Penalosa (54-7-2, 36 KOs) will take on another former world champion Eric Morel (41-2, 21 KOs) on February 13, 2010 in Las Vegas. The winner of the bout will earn the right to fight the WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel of Mexico.
Two months ago, Penalosa told this writer that he wants to retire a champion. He may get his wish next year but he will have to go through the man known as ?Little Hands of Steel?.
Morel was born in Puerto Rico but moved to Wisconsin in 1992. Four years later he was part of the U.S. Boxing Team for the Atlanta Olympics. He got the ?hands of steel? monicker from his Olympic team mates. He lost in his first bout to the eventual flyweight gold medallist Maikro Romero of Cuba on points.
David Reid was the only gold medallist of the 1996 U.S. squad that included Floyd Mayweather,Jr., Antonio Tarver, Fernando Vargas, Zahir Raheem and David Diaz.
Morel turned pro that same year. Four years later he beat Thailand?s Sornpichai Pisnurachank by 12 round unanimous decision for the WBA world flyweight title. He made five successful title defenses.
In 2003, Morel lost his title to Venezuelan Lorenzo Parra by unanimous decision in a bout held in Puerto Rico. In 2005, he would have a failed attempt to win the WBA superflyweight title from Martin Castillo.
The 38 year old Penalosa still looks fit, trim and ready to go twelve rounds at a moments notice. Penalosa was previously reported to be getting a shot at Montiel. There were also news stories that he would be fighting Abner Mares. Most, if not all Filipino boxing pundits would rather have Gerry fight Montiel right away. But Penalosa has maintained a professional attitude towards the whole thing.
When I saw him at his gym last October, he said, ?I?m keeping myself in shape. I don?t want to be surprised by a call from a promoter and cram during training because the fight date is near.?
He vacated the WBO bantamweight title when he moved up in weight against Juan Manuel Lopez in a failed attempt to win a third world crown last April. Penalosa?s two world titles are a decade apart. 1997 was the year he beat Hiroshi Kawashima of Japan for the WBC superflyweight crown and in 2007 he beat Jhonny Gonzales with a paralyzing body blow, claiming the WBO Bantamweight title, and contributed to the 4-1 winning margin the Philippines scored against Mexico in their head to head ?Boxing World Cup? match-up
Come February, Penalosa will be up against another veteran who is taller and four years younger. But he is confident of having one more great performance. He is a student of the game and has accumulated the knowledge he got from all the trainers that he has been under. He is already financially secure but it is the desire to retire on top that keeps him going.
(File photos: Penalosa in action against German Meraz)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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