Pe?alosa, Jr, Mayol and Jaca headline ?Dugong Kampeon? in Mandaue
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 22 Jul 2011
The past, present and future of Philippine boxing were represented Friday noon at the Sports Exchange Bar and Grill during the press conference and launching of the ?Laban ng Lahi: Dugong Kampeon? fight card which will be held August 6 at the Mandaue City Sports Complex.
Fast rising superbantamweight prospect Dodie Boy Pe?alosa,Jr. former WBC lt.flyweight champion Rodel Mayol and world ranked Jimrex 'The Executioner' Jaca will see action in a blockbuster card couretsy of GerryPens Promotions, the promotional outift of former two division world champ Gerry Pe?alosa.
The unbeaten Pe?alosa,Jr (5W-0L, 5 KO's) will fight his first foreign opponent, Thailand's Kong Kiatpracha Gym (5W-8L-1D, 2 KO's). Last June, Pe?alosa,Jr stopped Jeffrey Jimenez in four rounds at the Cebu Coliseum. This was the first time in his career that he went past the second round. He suffered a cut on his left eyebrow due to a headbutt in the opening round and this has posed problems during his training for Kiatpracha.
?The cut opened slightly during sparring,? said his trainer and father, Dodie Sr. ?But we will concentrate on the punch mitts during the rest of his training. We are prepared to deal with any situation ,any scenario during the fight. I promise that this will not pose a problem.?
Dodie Pe?alosa,Sr was the first Filipino to win two titles in two different weight divisions. He has passed the torch to his son who now will have to bear the burden of expectations.
?I am excited that I am fighting a foreign opponent for the first time but I do feel pressure,' Dodie,Jr said, 'But with the support of my father and uncle I am prepared to meet any challenge.?
?I learned a lot from my fight with Jimenez. I know I got hit easily, so I worked on my defense.? Dodie,Jr added, ?It is an honor for me to fight in the same card as Rodel Mayol and Jimrex Jaca.?
Pe?alosa,Jr's fight against the Thai Tornado is scheduled for eight rounds.
Promoter Gerry Pe?alosa was delighted that he managed to convince Mayol to fight here in Cebu.
Mayol, who hails from Mandaue, was thankful for the opportunity, ?Its been three years since I've fought in Cebu. My old fans have been asking me when I'll fight here again.? Mayol will be facing Jayson Rotoni of Metro Manila.
Mayol wants to fight WBA flywieght champ Hernan Marquez. "I am ready to fight for a world title anytime. I know I can beat Marquez."
Jaca promised another good performance. His last fight was in March in Talisay City, a 3rd round TKO win over Arnel Dunal. Jaca will be facing Philip Jun Demecillo. Jaca has scored stoppage wins in his last five bouts. He once lost to Juan Manuel Marquez as a featherweight and is a former OPBF and WBO Asia-Pacific champion.
When asked about Marquez' last fight, Jaca said' ?I can't really assess if he hits that hard now, he hit hard when we fought as featherweights. He's heavier now.?
Also scheduled in this card will be the PABA lt.flyweight championship between Randy Petalcorin and Michael Rodriguez. Undefeated Marvin Mabait will fight Jestoni Pepito and Eden Sonsona against Eman Labanza.
Pe?alosa,Jr has a multi-fight contract to appear on GMA Television. Marivic Araneta, Sports and Special Projects Manager of GMA News and Public Affairs stated that ?We have a long term partnership with the Pe?alosas. GMA is investing in fighters and you cannot discount the Pe?alosa pedigree. He is a third generation champion; if he stays humble and trains hard. We see a confidence in him that we usually do not see in other fighters at the same level.?
GMA 7 will air the fight on the day after the fight, August 7, 10 to 12 noon. It will also be seen on GMA International. ?The full resources of the network is behind Gerry Pe?alosa's promotion.? Araneta added.
Kevin Cook, the owner of Sports Exchange Bar, also pledged his support for Pe?alosa's upcoming cards.
Gerry Pe?alosa said that he personally instructed matchmaker Pingping Tepora to look for boxers who will be competetive as opponents and will not be intimidated. He also thanked the Cebu media for their support. ?Without the media, the public would not be able to know who our boxers are.? Gerry said.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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