By Rey Danseco
Veteran welterweight fighter Rey Pelonia wasn’t inspired with Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez’s way of saying “adios” to the fight scene. Pelonia has been thinking about calling it quits for quite sometime.
Yesterday, Pelonia, the reigning World Boxing Foundation (WBF) International welterweight champ, informed his manager Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde Jr. about his decision to “think” about his path -- to retire in prizefighting or pursue his newfound job as trainer-instructor in a commercial boxing gym in San Juan, Metro Manila.
“He told me that he earns a decent income by training civilians in a boxing gym, and he enjoys his new job,” said Elorde. “That’s one valid reason why he is now planning to quit boxing for good.”
Despite of that, Elorde has reserved a slot for the General Santos City native. Pelonia, who turns 33 on September 20, will be featured on another Saturday night fight card to be televised by Ringside@Elorde over NBN Channel 4. The venue and date will be announced later this month.
“I may to pit him (Pelonia) against a rated Thai fighter. It might be one of three or four pairs of matches between Filipinos and Thais on my next boxing installation later this June,” said Elorde, who did not give Pelonia a time frame to decide.
Pelonia's campaign of 17 years in the paid ranks has piled up a stock of 34-23-2 (win-loss-draw) with 23 knockouts. The former 3-time Philippine champ Pelonia has held national titles in the lightweight and welterweight divisions twice, as well as fought for regional thrones under major organizations; World Boxing Council (WBC), World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation (IBF).
He also fought in the territory of his opponents in Japan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Australia, Indonesia and Korea. Pelonia has been unbeaten in his last five fights since his latest attempt to regain the RP welter crown from Dondon Sultan in April 2003.
Pelonia's most recent bout, where he tipped the scale exactly 150 pounds, was also aired over NBN 4 when he punished tough Mongolian Baira Kim last March 8 in Mandaluyong City. Pelonia turned pro at the tender age of 16 in Oct. 5, 1998.
Should Pelonia decided to retire, Sultan and former OPBF boss Rev Santillan will be left as the only other active or capable Filipino campaigners in the welterweight division.
NOTE : The veteran writer REY DANSECO is based in Manila and the Sports Editor of Bagong Tiktik (Spy), one of the leading daily in the Philippines. He is also a pro-boxing judge and television commentator of weekly program Ringside@Elorde that airs from 11 p.m to 12 midnight every Saturday over NBN Channel 4 in the whole country. He also writes for Manila Times ( www.manilatimes.net ), which was established in 1898.
