FELLOW Cebuano boxer Gerry Peñalosa said he is confident Z Gorres will recover from his injury and said what happened to the ALA gym stalwart was an “occupation hazard.”

Gerry Peñalosa, who is a close friend of Gorres and even trained with him in the past, wrote in his column at Philboxing.com, “He is a boxer, a fighter and is not the one to back down on a fight. This time, he is fighting to save his life and I know that he will win it.”

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Peñalosa said that what happened to Gorres was part of boxing’s “occupational hazards.”

“It comes with the package of being a boxer…we put our life on the line to give glory and pride to our family and to our country. Boxing is a bloody game but it is also an honorable profession and just like the rest of the Pinoy boxers, I am happy I am in this profession,” Peñalosa said.

Meanwhile, Antonio L. Aldeguer is ecstatic that the government and some local officials will be extending financial assistance to Z Gorres as it will help defray the expenses for his rehabilitation.

Aldeguer owns the ALA stable, which is now being managed by his son, Michael.

“I’m very, very happy. I hope that it will happen. It’s been on the papers. It will help shoulder the expenses for the rehab,” Aldeguer told Sun.Star Cebu in an interview yesterday. “It’s very heartwarming. I’m very happy because one way or the other he got the support of the people, not only in prayers, but also financially.”

Medically-induced

Gorres underwent emergency brain surgery a day before the Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto fight to clear a blood clot.

He was on a medically-induced coma and has been slowly recovering at the University Medical Center in Las Vegas.

Last Tuesday, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, who is also a Cebuano, said Malacañang is ready to extend aid to the boxer.

Mandaue City Vice-Mayor Carlo Fortuna and Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz (Cebu, 6th district) pledged to give P100,000 each to help in Gorres rehabilitation.

Gorres’s medical bill has reportedly reached $200,000 but it will be shouldered by Top Rank Promotions.

He is also expected to stay for a few more months in the US for his rehabilitation.

Soon Ruiz is also helping arrange the US trip of Gorres’s wife, Datches.

Datches is currently processing her passport for her trip to the US. The date of her flight to the US is still indefinite.

The 27-year-old Mandaue City resident has shown good prognosis in the past few days in his road to recovery from a head injury.

“He’s progressing very well. He has only been in the hospital for four days and he’s been able to do lots of things,” said Aldeguer.

Michael Aldeguer also said in an official statement that, “As of Nov.18, 12 pm Las Vegas time Z responded well when he was asked to lift two fingers and find the tube and he was able to do it which is very good. He is still critical but stable. The next coming days will be how he responds to more commands. The goal is to wean him from the ventilator.”