Saturday, March 17, 2007 Sayson: Gerry’s last hurrah? By Homer D. Sayson Second Overtime
LAS VEGAS - Like most of my travels to Sin City, I’d like to think of this ongoing visit as merely another Sun.Star Cebu assignment, one of the very many that I’ve done so often through the years as a credentialed NBA and boxing writer.
But it ain’t that simple.
I’m here to chronicle the continuing saga of Gerry Penalosa, one of the greatest Filipinos to ever climb the boxing ring. I’m also here to root for a dear friend, who once teased me that we always meet on Manny Pacquiao’s fights, not his.
Little does Gerry know that I’ve always yearned to see him throw counter punch missiles in live action. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to watch him duel up close from ringside, to be mesmerized by the grace of his movements and sheer poetry of his skills.
But I’m here now. Time, money and circumstance had forged a conspiracy that permitted this Gerry-trip to materialize. Finally, at last.
On the flight from Chicago to Las Vegas last night, in the still of a nearly empty Boeing 737 airplane cabin, I honestly thought that I may be too late to catch a good Peñalosa show. Six years too late.
Gerry is 34 now. His aura as a champion is no longer imbued with the same sense of assurance and invincibility. He has 18 long years in his odometer as a pro boxer. His body is ravaged by both time and the unending violence. In candid, brutal terms, Gerry just isn’t the same fighter we know.
But is he done? Is tomorrow’s fight the last hurrah, the culmination of a fabulous career that raked multiple titles and millions of adoring fans? Not quite, says Gerry. Not yet. “I am ready and I am confident that I will become world champion once again. I think the fight will not last the distance. I feel very good and I think this fight will define my career,” Penalosa told a throng of reporters the other day.
Yes Gerry, I believe that you may pull a monumental upset. But no, Gerry, this fight doesn’t define your career. Win or lose, your legacy is intact. You will always be remembered as one of the slickest 115-pounders of your generation. And we will support you, in and out of the roped jungle.
Two factors will determine Gerry’s fate tomorrow night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Weight and wait. Weight as in 122 pounds. How comfortable will Gerry be carrying those extra pounds? Can he carry his punch at the super bantamweight division? Can he take a punch from a 122-pound champ who has a sledgehammer for a left hand?
Wait as in patience. Can Gerry settle as a counter puncher, a smart tactician who will rely on skill rather than power? Will he not be goaded into an all-out war against a relentless aggressor, a Mexican who is clearly “bigger and stronger”?
In the final analysis, Gerry’s opponent, Daniel Ponce De Leon has everything going for him. Youth, knockout strength, and the groovy comfort of being a natural super bantamweight. But Gerry has the passion. The desire. The indomitable Cebuano will. He is inspired by his wife Goody and their two kids, who flew in for the showdown. Gerry also has the power of hope. And the best wishes of a prayerful Filipino nation.
Mabuhay ka, Gerry Penalosa!
P.S. My trip to the Penalosa’s quest for more greatness would not have been possible without my sponsors. So let me thank them, from the bottom of my heart.
Arthro, which is owned by my dear college pal, Atan Guardo. Isuzu Cebu at Ayala, through the kindness of branch manager, Engr. Dodong Castañares.
Thanks also to Stephen Villamor and his lovely bride, Ana Auditor. They are the proprietors of Step V Trading. My thanks also to the Sitoys, lawyer Adelino and his son Arleigh, the mayor of Cordova.
My dinner guests here in Chicago not long ago, the Sitoys are amazingly wonderful human beings and avid sports fans. They phoned me last night, both wishing Gerry good luck.
