Pacquiao, Penalosa Head Off To The States

By Rey Danseco
 
Manny Pacquiao and Gerry Penalosa was scheduled to fly together on Monday night to California, prior to their preparations in rematches against separate foes. Pacquiao and Penalosa will train under the watchful eyes of American trainer Freddie Roach at the well-known Wild Card Gym.

The 29-year-old pound-for-pound icon will face in a rematch, World Boxing Council super featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez on March 15 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Their first fight in May 2004 was scored a draw after American judge Burt Clements made and then admitted the mistake of scoring the first round 10-7 instead of 10-6, in Pacquiao’s favor, despite the fact the Filipino fighter floored Marquez three times.

Gerry Penalosa, the oldest Filipino world champion in history at 35-year-old, puts his World Boxing Organization bantamweight crown against former champion and current top ranked contender Ratanachai Sor Vorapin of Thailand on March 2 at Araneta Coliseum. Penalosa stopped Vorapin in the sixth round to defend his WBC International super flyweight belt in 2000 at the Casino Filipino-Paranaque.

Vorapin held Penalosa’s second world title belt from August 2005 with victory over Mauricio Martinez and lost it two-months later to Mexico’s Jhonny Gonzalez by way of a seventh-round TKO. Penalosa knocked Gonzalez out with a single left hook in the ribs to capture the crown last August in Sacramento, California.

Pacquiao and Penalosa will board a Philippine Airlines flight.