Monday, April 07, 2008 Why Gerry Peñalosa is a joy to watch By Jingo Quijano Sun.Star Columnist
GERRY Peñalosa will always be my favorite Filipino boxer. Only a very select few are gifted with the prescient ability to anticipate what his opponent is about to do. That’s why as a counter-puncher he is sui generis.
Ratanachai knows this all too well and so for the first round, he doesn’t bamboozle his way in as he usually does. He stalks, throws a few safe punches and backtracks several times.
But Gerry isn’t easily fooled and he cleverly lures the Thai into several exchanges in the second and third with disastrous consequences to the latter. There are red welts in his face to start the fourth and this time, Gerry begins targeting his muscular body.
Gerry also drops his hands and starts to box. Even at this mode, he is singularly beautiful to watch. Sure, his opponent lands a meaningful punch every now and then, but Gerry has imposed his indomitable will over his much more feral opponent. He has controlled the tempo of the fight and it’s just a matter of time.
The end comes in the 8th round. Following a knockdown, Penalosa pummels his bloody and battered opponent and the ref mercifully steps in to end his suffering.
Manny Pacquiao later on joins his kumpadre atop the ring to celebrate and takes his shades off but only for a few minutes before putting them back on again.
At the post-fight press conference, Gerry admits to being hurt a few times by Vorapin’s power punches, but nonetheless clarified that he had everything under control.
His brother, former two-time world champ Dodie Boy, explains to us that Gerry was never in any danger and that those punches were nothing compared to what Daniel Ponce de Leon unleashed. At any rate, he shares that sluggers will always be tailor fit for Gerry’s savvy counter-punching style.
Gerry also acknowledges that he probably will be calling it a career pretty soon and reiterated his desire to have one more dance with de Leon.
