TWO-division world champion Dodie Boy Peñalosa knew when to walk away. He retired from the sport in 1995 at the age of 32, after more than 13 years of punishment inside the ring.
Dodie Boy wants his younger brother, Gerry, to do the same —hang his gloves for good and let the young guns take his spot.
“I want him to retire. I think this is the right time,” said the 47-year-old ex-International Boxing Federation light flyweight and flyweight title-holder. He is now a boxing coach and has passed the torch over to his son, Dodie Boy Jr., who had a successful professional debut this year.
Dodie Boy believes Gerry has already accomplished enough to cement his status as one of the greatest Filipino fighters and that it is the right moment for him to stop fighting.
“I am very familiar with his abilities. The way he fights now is very far from the way he fought back then,” he said.
Gerry already has two world titles—the World Boxing Organization bantamweight and World Boxing Council super flyweight belts—in his 20-year career.
Gerry recently gunned for his third division title but failed after he was stopped in the 10th round by Puerto Rican star Juan Manuel Lopez in their WBO super bantamweight clash last year and Gerry lost via close split decision to Puerto Rican Eric Morel in their interim bantamweight battle last Feb.13.
“He is 37 years old. I think it was God’s will that he lost so that he can retire,” said Dodie Boy.