Gerry to rest swollen hand
With his right hand still swollen, World Boxing Organization bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa
will not be able to fight in the under card of the Shane Mosley-Zab Judah slugfest on May 31 at the
Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
On the advice of Dr. Butch Penamante, the family physician of the Penalosas, the two-time world
champion needs to rest to enable his right hand, which he injured while training for his recent fight
against Thai Ratanachai Sor Vorapin, to heal.
The 35-year-old Filipino hurt his hand in a sparring session with former world champion Kevin Kelly
while training in Las Vegas more than a month before his successful title defense against Vorapin
at the Araneta Coliseum.
Penalosa said he hasn’t told about his decision to American manager Billy Keane.
"Hindi ko pa na-inform `yung American manager ko tungkol sa desisyon ko. Pero sa advice nga ng
doctor ko i-pahinga ko raw muna ang kamay ko kasi medyo maga pa hanggang ngayon," Penalosa
revealed in yesterday’s Scoop session at Kamayan Restaurant on Padre Faura St.
The rest, according to Penalosa, should augur well for him should his looming rematch with WBO
super-bantamweight king Daniel Ponce de Leon finally push through in August.
"Mas magandang maka-pahinga para maganda ang kundisyon natin against Ponce de Leon," added
the soft-spoken champion in the session sponsored by Accel.
"Pero depende rin sa kalalabasan ng laban niya (Ponce de Leon), although ang alam ko pumayag na
siyang mag-laban kami ulit," Penalosa said.
Ponce de Leon (34-1, 30 knockouts) stakes his 122-pound belt against Juan Manuel Lopez of Puerto
Rico on June 7 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Penalosa lost a unanimous decision to the fearsome Mexican when he challenged the WBO champion
last year in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"Kung manalo siya (Ponce de Leon), baka masama kami sa undercard ng rematch ni Oscar Dela Hoya
and Floyd Mayweather Jr," said Penalosa, who is under the Golden Boy Promotions, the boxing outfit
owned by Dela Hoya.
Source:
http://www.malaya.com.ph/apr19/spor4.htm
Again because it was surely a win for him the first time around.