By Rey Danseco
GERRY Peñalosa keeps his fingers cross, hoping Manny Pacquiao’s manager will be true to his promise of getting him a shot for another world super flyweight title in the undercard of Manny Pacquiao-Erik Morales trilogy later this year.
Fresh from defeating the game and taller former Mexican champ Tomas Rojas, Peñalosa was told by Shelly Finkel to get a crack against reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) super flyweight champion Martin Castillo of Mexico.
Finkel will talk with Castillo’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank regarding their anticipated fight on November 18 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“We recognized that Arum has the last word for the fight being the promoter of the pay-per-view card,” said Peñalosa. “Mr. Finkel promised to do his best to realize my goal of bringing another world title here.”
But Peñalosa will have to wait, hoping the 29-year old champion nicknamed “El Gallo” (Little Rooster) would retain the title by getting past his mandatory defense against top ranked challenger Nobuo Nashiro on July 22 in Higashiosaka, Japan.
“My chances also depend on the outcome of his defense in Japan. If he wins, we would have a huge possibility of facing come November,” said Peñalosa, who is ranked number nine among campaigners in 115 pounds limit by Ring Magazine and International Boxing Federation.
Peñalosa, who turns 34 years old on August 7, now has half a century of victories against five loses and two draws with 33 knockouts in his career. He was the WBC superflyweight king for an 18 month period from Feb. 20, 1997 until losing the belt in the fourth time he put it on the line on Aug. 29, 1998.
At the age of 25, Peñalosa dethroned and permanently retired Japanese champion Hiroshi Kawashima with split decision win before a hostile crowd at Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. He defended it against Korean challengers Seung Koo Lee and Young-Joo Cho both by knockouts and retained over Mexican top ranked contender Joel Luna Zarate with technical decision in round 2.
A Korean speedster Injoo Cho captured the belt from Peñalosa with split decision at Ritz Carlton Hotel in Seoul, Korea. The Filipino had failed to regain the throne in a rematch against Cho and twice against Cho’s tormentor Masamori Tokuyama of North Korea.
The 5-foot-6-inch Castillo is an 8-year pro with 30-1, 16 knockouts. He was Mexico’s representative in flyweight class in 1996 Olympics.
The turning point of Castillo’s career happened in January 2004 when he defeated Filipino Roger Galicia, a former WBC International bantamweight and RP super flyweight champ, over 12-round decision in their WBA Super Flyweight Title Eliminator in the main event of a card in Kansas City, Missouri.
Peñalosa said he’s unfazed with anyone, thinking he proved he has still the will and skills of a world champ when he dominted the 26-year old Rojas last Sunday in Araneta Coliseum.
“I feel I’m 25 years old and no fear with anyone in my weight,” he said before leaving yesterday for a week vacation in General Santos City.
