By Mark Vester
The event will be called "Champion vs. Champion." On April 25 at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa (54-6-2, 36 KOs) moves up in weight to challenge undefeated WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez (24-0, 22 KOs). The fight will be televised by HBO.
Penalosa has lost a few fight, some by close decision but no fighter has ever stopped him. Lopez has been knocking fighters out left and right. His last five opponents have been kncoked out in three rounds or less and every opponent since July 2006 has been stopped inside the distance. Lopez wants to become the first fighter to knock Penalosa out.
"This is a very important fight for me because I know that Penalosa had a great career and a victory would be good for my career. But I just don't just want to win, I want to knock him out because nobody has done that before and that it would be pretty overwhelming," Lopez was quoted as saying by Primera Hora.
Juanma's co-promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, says Penalosa will present a big test for his young fighter.
"This is a great test for Juan Manuel, who has shown great power during his reign as champion, but who will now face an experienced boxer in Gerry Penalosa and will therefore will have to work very hard to emerge victorious," Arum said.
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