WHAT was supposed to be the biggest boxing event to hit Mindanao, but the title defense of World Boxing Organization bantamweight champion Gerry “Fearless” Peñalosa against Mexican Nestor Rocha on Sept. 20 in Tubod Lanao del Norte, was called off due to safety concerns.
The sponsors of the blockbuster fight dubbed “Judgment Day” backed out after the concern of the heightened tension in the North Cotabato area.
“Our main concern is more on the safety,” said SGG Promotions Sammy Gello-ani in an interview with Sun.Star Cebu yesterday.
Gello-ani is planning to transfer the blockbuster event here in Cebu City, set tentatively on Sept. 27.
“We are now working on a transfer of venues, possibly in Cebu,” said Gello-ani.
There was a possibility for Peñalosa to defend his crown in the US, where it was originally slated, as an undercard in the lightweight battle between Joel Casamayor and Juan Manuel Marquez on Sept. 13 but the 36-year-old Filipino champion is more inclined to fighting in his homeland.
“I’ve talked to Gerry and he said he prefers to fight in the Philippines rather than in the US,” said Gello-ani.
With the cancellation of the fight card in Mindanao, Peñalosa is set to fight a different opponent because Rocha already has one set for him.
On the other hand, the huge fight card in Macau, which was supposed to feature four Filipino pugilists—International Boxing Federation and International Boxing Organization flyweight king Nonito “Filipino Flash” Donaire, Brian “The Hawaiian Punch” Viloria, Z “The Dream” Gorres and Bernabe Concepcion—was also flushed down the drain.
With this, the proposed title fight between World Boxing Organization super flyweight titlist Fernando Montiel and Gorres has no date and place as of now.
ALA Promotions President Michael Aldeguer will negotiate in the next few days with the Montiel camp and he is optimistic that they will come up with a deal.
“I’m confident the fight will happen in the future,” said Aldeguer.
Golden Boy Promotions recently handed an offer sheet for Gorres and Jorge Arce to pit each other in an IBF title eliminator for the No.1 contender in an undercard for the
Pavlik-Hopkins bout. But Arce declined the offer, which places Thai fighter Pramunsak Posuwan, the No. 5 rated boxer, as the opponent for Gorres in the eliminator.
Aldeguer, however, refuses to let Gorres fight the Thai because he believes that it is ridiculous to fight for another eliminator. (EKA)
