Still smarting from pain in his right hand and right elbow, WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Peñalosa said yesterday he has withdrawn from a proposed title defense in the Zab Judah-Sugar Shane Mosley undercard at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on May 31.
Peñalosa told The Star he informed his Los Angeles-based manager Billy Keane in an overseas phone call the other day his decision to back out of the fight that would’ve delivered at least a $200,000 paycheck.
Peñalosa said his family physician Dr. Butch Penamante of General Santos City has prescribed a complete one-week rest before plunging into hard workouts. The swelling in his right hand has gone down but the pain in the right elbow persists.
Peñalosa’s right hand swelled after repeatedly pounding Thai challenger Ratanacahi Sor Vorapin’s head enroute to scoring an eighth round stoppage at the Araneta Coliseum two weeks ago. He felt pain in the right elbow during a sparring session at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood about five weeks before the Ratanachai bout.
Last Thursday, Peñalosa tested his hand in his personal gym in Kalentong, Quezon City. He took some digs at the heavy bag and went a few rounds with the mitts then called off practice when the level of pain shot up.
Peñalosa said even if he starts serious training after a week, there will be too little time to get ready for a May 31 fight.
“I’ll be cramming,” said Peñalosa. “I wouldn’t be fully prepared for the fight. I told Billy I couldn’t be ready. He understands the situation. But I’m not letting myself go. I jog every day to keep in shape.”
Besides, Peñalosa said if he fights on May 31, his opponent will likely be up-and-coming No. 3 contender Abner Mares, a Mexican who’s 13 years younger. Peñalosa, 35, said he’d rather face the big names because he doesn’t expect to fight too much longer. He wouldn’t like to be a stepping stone for a hungry upstart.
First in Peñalosa’s priority list is WBO superbantamweight champion Daniel Ponce de Leon who outpointed him last year. The second is Juan Manuel Marquez’ brother Rafael and the third is WBC superbantamweight titlist Israel Vazquez who wrested the 122-pound crown from the Mexican.
Ponce de Leon is set to stake his title against Juan Manuel Lopez in Atlantic City on June 7. If he retains the belt, Peñalosa will be his next challenger.
“I’ll just wait for Ponce de Leon – he’s the one I want,” said Peñalosa, described by trainer Freddie Roach as the best pure boxer in the Philippines today and the Filipino version of slickster James Toney. “I don’t care where I fight him. There is talk of promoting the fight in Manila or Cebu. But if it’s possible, I’d like to fight Ponce de Leon in the Oscar de la Hoya-Floyd Mayweather undercard in Las Vegas on Sept. 20.”
De la Hoya is booked to take on Steve Forbes on May 3 then will meet Mayweather in a rematch.
Roach, who was paid $1 Million for a six-week job to train de la Hoya for his first fight against Mayweather, said he was not contracted by Golden Boy for the Forbes bout. Instead, De la Hoya will be trained by Mayweather’s father Floyd Sr.
“My deal was for one fight,” said Roach. “I wasn’t fired. Oscar chose Floyd Sr. to train him for Forbes because he wants Mayweather’s father in his corner when they fight again. That’s the intriguing angle he wants.”
As for Penalosa, Roach said he’s convinced if he fights Ponce de Leon again, the San Carlos City southpaw will win.
“Gerry should’ve won the first fight,” said Roach. “He’ll make sure he wins the next time.”