Penalosa Aims To Dethrone Ponce De Leon

By Rey Danseco

GERRY Penalosa is ready rumble and hoping to win his second world title.

Penalosa showed his ring savvy and tactics in sparring session against Latino fighters at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood this week under the watchful eyes of Freddie Roach’s associate Justin Fortune.

The 34-year-old resident of Paranaque City in Manila will aim to dethrone the reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce De Leon of Mexico on March 17 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Penalosa is set to end training on the weekend and will drive to Las Vegas on March 12 (Tuesday in the Philippines).

The scheduled 12-round collision will serve as supporting bout of the exciting confrontation between two popular Mexicans, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez for the World Boxing Council super featherweight title.

Also scheduled to break camp is former world title challenger Diosdado Gabi of Davao City. He will be included in the small group that goes to the glittery gambling capital to prepare in his scheduled duel in the card against Brazilian Giovanni Andrade.

Andrade will be facing his second Filipino opponent in three months after unbeaten Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista forced him to retire in stool after four rounds last December in Tampa, Florida.

Penalosa engaged in tactical sparring sessions against two mates, Mexican Jorge Diaz and taller Nicaraguan Julio “Yambito” Gamboa, who Ponce De Leon beat by TKO in the fourth round in November 2004.

Penalosa, a former WBC super flyweight champion, promised to bring home the title in the Philippine capital city and hotbed of boxing in the country.