By Ronnie Nathanielsz
WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa had what his manager Billy Keane described as “a light workout” Wednesday afternoon after a good walk in the morning in Puerto Rico and was around 125 pounds, just three pounds over the super bantamweight limit.
Penalosa faces heavily-favored super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez on Sunday, Manila Time, in a fight promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank Promotions in cooperation with the Ivan Rivera of Puerto Rico Best Boxing and to be telecast in the Philippines by Solar Sports.
In an overseas telephone conversation with BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Splrts from Puerto Rico, Keane said Penalosa worked out at the gym of former world champion Wilfredo Gomez and “looked great.”
Gomez, nicknamed “Bazooka” was a three-time world champion and his popular gym was used by Oscar De La Hoya when “The Golden Boy” trained for his “World Awaits” blockbuster against Floyd Mayweather Jr under Freddie Roach who trains both Penalosa and Filipino ring hero Manny Pacquiao.
Filipinos Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista and AJ “Bazooka” Banal have also trained at the Wilfredo Gomez Gym which is located in Guaynabo near the northern coast of the island.
Keane echoed what trainer Freddie Roach who worked with Penalosa at the Wild Card Gym as well as conditioning expert Alex Ariza said and that is that the 36 year old WBO bantamweight champion was “in great shape, very confident and ready to go.”
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told us that very definitely undefeated champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez is heavily favored to win but conceded that “if Penalosa prevails it will be a big, big upset.”
Arum conceded that despite his personal confidence in “Juanma” Lopez who he says is a future superstar, Penalosa “is more experienced than Lopez and it could be a test for him."
