Donaire, Peñalosa join forces in Baguio

Two Filipino world champions are setting up a joint training camp in Baguio City starting Monday to prepare for title fights and they’re eager to learn from each other.

WBO bantamweight titlist Gerry Peñalosa and IBF/IBO flyweight king Nonito (JunJun) Donaire Jr. are leaving Manila tomorrow for the trip up north. They begin light workouts the next day. Their schedule allows for at least seven weeks of heavy training.

Donaire will relinquish his belts to challenge WBO superflyweight titleholder Fernando Montiel at the Araneta Coliseum on March 15 while Peñalosa stakes his crown against No. 1 contender Eric Morel in a mandatory defense with the particulars to be settled after a purse bid in Puerto Rico on Jan. 12.

Peñalosa said yesterday a TV network will likely finance his purse bid for the bout and if it wins the rights, the fight will be held in Manila in February. The bidding will be conducted at the WBO head office in Puerto Rico.

But Peñalosa isn’t waiting for the result of the purse bid before opening boot camp. A plan to face Mexican veteran Heriberto Ruiz, who upset Rey (Boom Boom) Bautista last November, in a non-title fight in Cebu late this month was scuttled when the WBO refused to allow Peñalosa a tune-up before meeting Morel.

“As soon as we determine when and where my defense will be held, I plan to invite Freddie (Roach) to our camp in Baguio,” said Peñalosa who has made one title defense since wresting the crown from Jhonny Gonzalez in Sacramento in 2007. “I hope he will be available.”

Peñalosa, 36, said he’s excited to join Donaire in camp.

“My brothers Jonathan and Dodie Boy will take care of his training,” said Peñalosa. “Jonathan will do the mitts while Dodie Boy will supervise his workouts. I will act as adviser, pointing out things where he can improve and looking for ways to beat Montiel.”

Peñalosa said he won’t spar with Donaire because as a southpaw, he doesn’t resemble Montiel’s style.

“I don’t think I can help JunJun if I spar with him,” said Peñalosa. “I think I can help him in many other ways. Montiel is a technician and I want to improve JunJun’s skills to make him a more complete fighter. JunJun is very talented. There will be very little I can teach because he is already so good. My role is to add to his skills.”

Peñalosa said he will rent two apartments in Baguio, one for himself and his brothers and the other, for Donaire and his wife Rachel. He hopes to ask permission from the ABAP to use its facilities in Teachers Camp where there are two standard rings and a full set of training equipment.

“I will ask for the ABAP’s blessings and I will also ask for JunJun’s father’s blessings to take over his training,” said Peñalosa.

Donaire said he intends to stay in the Philippines for at least a year.

“I’m lucky to be working with Gerry and his brothers,” he said. “I can learn a lot from Gerry because he is such a skilled fighter. Montiel is a tough opponent and I know Gerry can help me get super ready for him.”

Peñalosa will bring in two sparmates for Donaire and two more for himself.

As for the possibility of training under Roach, Donaire said it would be an honor but he couldn’t be sure of matching their schedules.

“I know Freddie is very busy and so much in demand,” said Donaire. “It would be unfair to ask him to leave everything behind in Los Angeles and spend several weeks in Manila. I’m very happy with Gerry and his brothers. Besides, I hope to keep the lines open with my father (Nonito Sr.) who used to be my trainer. I’m sure my father will understand that working with Gerry for my next fight is a good move for the future.”

Donaire, 26, is coming off a sixth round knockout win over South Africa’s Moruti Mthalane in Las Vegas and will be gunning for his second world title against Montiel.

Donaire’s father-in-law Gerry Marcial, who is visiting here from San Francisco, said the win over Mthalane came under difficult circumstances.

“JunJun hadn’t fought in a while and was rusty,” said Marcial. “Then, he was distracted by relatives asking for tickets, hotel rooms and money during his training. Worse, he fractured his left pinkie in the second round, making it almost impossible for him to throw the left jab. He had to crank up his left to get to Moruti.But because of his power, it was just a matter of time before he stopped Moruti. The cut was so bad that Moruti’s skin was torn off just above his left eye and he bled from the inside. You didn’t see the blood flowing outside but the ringside doctor saw how bad it was. That’s why the referee stopped it immediately.”

Montiel, who has lost only twice, is a crafty Mexican boxer-puncher with 28 KOs in 38 wins.In February 2007, he invaded Cebu and boldly defended his WBO title against Z Gorres, escaping with a narrow victory via a split decision.

On the same card as the Montiel-Donaire fight, Brain Viloria will attempt to dethrone IBF lightflyweight champion Ulises Solis of Mexico.