One more shot for Peñalosa

MANILA, Philippines - Gerry Peñalosa said yesterday his goal is to retire as world champion and that’s why he refuses to call it quits despite suffering a brutal loss to WBO superbantamweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez in Puerto Rico last April.

Peñalosa, who turns 37 next month, is awaiting confirmation from matchmakers if a fight against Puerto Rico’s Eric Morel for the vacant WBO bantamweight crown could be added to an Araneta Coliseum blockbuster card on Aug. 29.

Morel and Mexico’s Fernando Montiel were set to square off for the WBO 118-pound title last month but the duel was cancelled when Montiel came down with a hand injury. Peñalosa had held the WBO diadem but relinquished it to challenge Lopez for the superbantamweight belt. Montiel then won the interim bantamweight title and was booked to face Morel for final recognition, with the winner to face Peñalosa.

“All I need is eight weeks of training and I’ll be ready,” said Peñalosa. “Wakee (Salud) phoned me last week asking if I would agree to fight Morel. I told him I only want to fight for the world title. The WBO promised me another title shot after I lost to Lopez. I’m hoping they keep their word.”

Peñalosa said he began jogging and doing gym-work three weeks ago on an every-other-day schedule. His weight is now 131 pounds but he said bringing it down to 118 will be no problem.

If the WBO sanctions a Peñalosa-Morel bout for the vacant bantamweight crown, it will be a co-feature in the Big Dome show being organized by Solar Sports and Top Rank. The other feature is IBF lightflyweight champion Brian Viloria’s first defense against Argentina’s Luis Alberto Lazarte.

Peñalosa said he’s confident of beating Morel and once he regains the WBO crown, he’ll defend it once in his swan song against Montiel. After disposing of Montiel, Peñalosa promised to hang up his gloves for good. Montiel may not be cleared to fight until September.

Fighting Lopez wasn’t a mistake, said Peñalosa, but a learning experience.

“I expected to lose the early rounds because my fight plan was to tire him out and stage a late rally,” said Peñalosa. “But he never got tired. I have a lot of respect for Lopez. I think he’s a perfect fighter at his weight. Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez wouldn’t be able to beat him. He’s strong, he’s big. He hits hard and he has stamina. I hit him with some solid shots but he just kept coming back.”

Peñalosa said after the seventh round, his trainer Freddie Roach thought of throwing in the towel.

“I told him, coach, please, don’t stop it, give me more time,” said Peñalosa. “After the eighth, I asked for one more round. After the ninth, Freddie told me he didn’t want me to get badly hurt, that he would stop it. I assured him I was okay but it was his decision. I wanted to finish the fight, go 12 rounds. But Freddie thought it was useless to continue.”

Peñalosa absorbed a severe beating but never went down, displaying a lot of courage and pride. In the end, the stats showed Lopez threw 1,020 punches compared to Peñalosa’s 392 – the discrepancy in their work-rate was startling.

Peñalosa said he was examined by doctors after the fight and cleared with no serious damage. His wife Goody, watching at ringside, was relieved that he suffered no injuries.

“Goody was worried but she’s standing by me in my decision to continue fighting,” said Peñalosa. “She’s leaving the decision all up to me. Whatever I decide, she’ll support me.”

While nothing is final for his next fight, Peñalosa said he is enjoying family life with Goody and their children. He has no plans of joining his brother Jonathan who is training Nonito Donaire for his fight against Rafael Concepcion for the interim WBA superflyweight title in Las Vegas on Aug. 15.

“I’m staying home,” said Peñalosa. “I want to be ready in case my fight pushes through. I’ve sent Jonathan to train Jun-Jun in the US and my other brother Dodie Boy might follow.”

Peñalosa has a 54-7-2 record, with 36 KOs, compared to Morel’s 41-2, with 21 KOs. Morel, a former Olympian, was once the WBA flyweight champion and after turning pro in 1996, won his first 33 bouts. Morel, 33, is 2 1/2 inches taller than Peñalosa and has a five-inch reach advantage.

The Aug. 29 card was initially pencilled for Cebu but the venue will now likely be the Araneta Coliseum where Solar Sports and Top Rank held the highly-successful “Flash and the Furious” show featuring Donaire and Viloria last April.