PENALOSA FINDS IT HARD TO QUIT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 15 Feb 2010
Former two division world champion Gerry Penalosa may be a veteran at 37 years of age but despite another painful setback on the threshold of one more title shot, the gallant southpaw appropriately nicknamed “Fearless” clearly finds it hard to quit the sport he loves with a passion.
Penalosa lost a split decision to former world champion Eric Morel of Puerto Rico in a WBO title eliminator that was to give the winner a crack at champion Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel of Mexico.
Montiel was pitted against inexperienced and patently overmatched Filipino Ciso “Kid Terrible” Morales whose 14-0, 8 KO record meant nothing when ranged against Montiel’s 39-2-2, 29 KO’s slate.
In a conversation hours after the fight and a trip to the hospital to check on his badly battered left eye which was almost totally shut due to an accidental head-butt while his right eye was less damaged also by a head-butt, Penalosa told us he thought he had won which was the view shared by trainer Freddie Roach who worked Penalosa’s corner with Manny Pacquiao’s conditioning expert Alex Ariza.
Pacquiao who watched the fights with his lovely wife Jinkee told the ABS-CBN television panel composed of Dyan Castillejo and this reporter he felt Penalosa won by at least 7 rounds to 5.
The head-butts in rounds six and seven almost closed Penalosa’s left eye even as blood kept streaming down but when the ring doctor during a break to check him out asked Gerry whether he could see he replied “I can’t see but I want to fight” underscoring the gallantry of the Filipino.
Penalosa conceded that he lost the early rounds but turned things around beginning the middle rounds and hurt Morel with some solid body shots in rounds eight and nine as he pressured the Puerto Rican who was breathing heavily.
Penalosa continued to stalk Morel who kept running as the Filipino southpaw kept hammering away. His eye almost shut Penalosa fought furiously in rounds eleven and twelve but apparently hadn’t done enough in the eyes of the judges and lost another controversial split decision which made it harder for him to decide whether or not to hang up his gloves.
Penalosa said he wants to spend more time with his charming wife Goody and their two children and will discuss his future with his wife and family before making a decision.
While he knows he can help promising young fighters Penalosa said “it will be easier to help them if I am a champion.”
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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