By Ronnie Nathanielsz

 

Golden Boy Promotions vice president and international matchmaker Eric Gomez said yesterday that both he and Oscar De La Hoya were very impressed with the showing of southpaw Jimrex who fought gallantly against WBO champion Juan Manuel Marquez before being knocked out in the ninth round in Hidalgo, Texas last Sunday.

 

In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Gomez said "we are very proud of Jaca. He put on a helluva fight and we are not going to turn our backs on him. The kid has a lot of heart. He is a typical Filipino fighter. Very brave."

 

Gomez said he had told Jaca that Golden Boy wants him to remain with them because they would "get him some more fights."

 

Gomez said that the TV commentators had Jaca winning three of the first five rounds but what he needed was "a little more experience." He said it was clear that the promising young fighter who battled a classy veteran in 33 year old Marquez who held Manny Pacquiao to a draw despite being dropped three times in the first round, "learned a lot from this fight."

 

Gomez said Golden Boy would continue to work with Jaca and "put him in some very good fights." Jaca earned a purse of $50,000 which was in stark contrast to a $2,500 purse that his manager Rex "Wakee" Salud wanted him to fight for on the Bob Arum undercard of Manny Pacquiao vs Erik Morales.