Tuesday, October 10, 2007 Street call may turn into ring fight
IT seems that the much-awaited rematch between WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Peñalosa and WBO super-bantamweight king Daniel Ponce De Leon is losing steam.
A fast-shaping rivalry now heats up between Peñalosa and former world champion Jorge Arce of Mexico, who figured in a near brawl with the Pinoy last Sunday after the conclusion of the Manny Pacquiao-Marco Antonio Barrera fight at the Events Center in Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Call
A report from philbox-ing.com revealed that Arce challenged Peñalosa to a fight, while the Filipino world champion was coming out from the venue together with his wife Goody and Japanese friend Kosuke Washio.
“I want to fight you! Let’s fight,” Arce said as quoted by the website.
The 35-year-old Peñalosa reportedly heeded the Mexi-can’s challenge, but Goody was quick to pull his husband away from trouble.
The tension would have broken out into a free-for-all between the throng of Filipino and Mexican fans.
Philboxing.com reported that Arce got irked when somebody from the crowd told him that Peñalosa is more popular than him and could beat him in the ring.
Plan
Golden Boy Promotions is arranging a rematch between Peñalosa and Ponce De Leon in February next year here in the Philippines, but the turn of event will make the Peñalosa-Arce match more appetizing.
Peñalosa and Arce had one common opponent—Tomas Rojas-whom Peñalosa defeated by unanimous decision in July last year in Manila. Arce defeated Rojas by TKO in the sixth round last Sept. 16 in Las Vegas.
Peñalosa recently scored a seventh-round knockout win over Mexican Johnny Gonzales to win the WBO 118-lb. title, while Arce is coming off a frustration when he lost to the unheralded Christian Mijares in the WBC super flyweight title fight last April. (RCM)
