By Rey Danseco
 
GERRY Penalosa is on the verge of following the footsteps of his older brother Dodie Boy Penalosa and four other fellow Filipinos as he hopes to win his second world title today.

Penalosa (51-5-2, 34 KOs), if he successfully dethrones World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce De Leon (30-1, 28 KOs) at Mandalay Bay Arena in Las Vegas, will become the second in his family to capture two titles in different weight classes and the fifth Filipino to do the feat.

The 34-year old resident of Paranaque City in Metro Manila won the World Boxing Council (WBC) super flyweight crown from Japanese Hiroshi Kawashima on February 20, 1997 in Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan.

Penalosa defended the title for 115-pound limit thrice until South Korean speedster Injoo Cho, controversially dethroned him with split decision in August 1998. 

Then 21-year old, Dodie Boy became the first light flyweight world champion of International Boxing Federation (IBF) on December 10, 1983 when he stopped Japanese fighter Satoshi Shingaki in the 12th and final round in Osaka, Japan. The bout was not sanctioned by the Japan Boxing Commission, so Penalosa needed to fight again for the title and annihilated Jae Hong Kim in the 9th round on May 13, 1984 in Seoul, South Korea to formally take the championship belt.

Two years later, the right leg polio-victim fighter vacated the 108-lb title after three defenses against Korean challengers and Indonesian and moved up in the next weight division. 

Dodie Boy initially lost in his bid for second crown when defending World Boxing Association flyweight champ Hilario Zapata of Panama earned a unanimous decision win in their collision at the jampacked University of Life Arena (now called Philsports Arena) in July 1986 before he captured his second world title, the IBF flyweight crown, seven months later.

The older Penalosa had a hard time before he knocked out defending IBF flyweight champion Hi Sup Shin at 2:10 mark of the fifth round of scheduled fifteen round collision in Inchon, South Korea on February 22, 1987. Shin retired after the bout, which mark as second time he put the title on the line.

If he succeeds, Gerry becomes the fifth Pinoy champion in two different weight divisions after Eleuterio “Little Dado” Zapanta (WBA flyweight and WBA bantam), Dodie Boy, Luisito Espinosa (WBA bantamweight and WBC featherweight) and Manny Pacquiao (WBC flyweight and IBF super bantamweight).

De Leon will put his title on the line for fourth time since he won the vacant crown with unanimous decision win over Thai fighter Sod Looknongyangtoy, who made his unbeaten run against patsy opponents and over the hill imports from the Philippines, in October 2005.