By Ronnie Nathanielsz

WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa says he is waiting for approval by the WBO for a planned tune-up fight on February 21 in Cebu prior to his planned April 4 WBO super bantamweight title showdown with Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez in New York.

Penalosa’s manager Billy Keane said he was confident the Penalosa-Lopez fight would get done but that WBO president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel won’t approve a tune-up fight until he receives s signed contract for the Penalosa-Lopez title fight.

Cotabato vice governor Manny Pinol plans to headline Penalosa against a solid opponent for his tune-up fight and was burning the wires looking for a worthy opponent for his February 21 card.

Penalosa is training in Baguio City along with IBF/IBO flyweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire who will defend his title possibly for the last time against former world lightweight champion Eric Ortiz at the Araneta Coliseum on March 15, before moving up to super flyweight.

Donaire was originally scheduled to fight WBO super flyweight champion Fernando Montiel but he had problems making the weight and has moved up to bantamweight. Montiel is scheduled to face Penalosa’s mandatory challenger and former WBA champion Erik Morel in a battle for the WBO interim bantamweight crown on March 22 according to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.

Donaire was then matched against WBO super flyweight No.2 ranked Jose “Carita” Lopez but Lopez had already signed to fight Thailand ’s Pramuansak Posuwan, the top contender for the title vacated by Montiel.

The possibility is that after he successfully defends his title against Ortiz who was knocked out by Brian Viloria in one round and suffered an 8th round TKO at the hands of Z “The Dream” Gorres on August 11, 2007, Donaire would fight the winner of the Posuwan – Lopez title bout.

In a long distance telephone conversation from the summer capital, Penalosa said training camp was “going very well and everything is okay.” Donaire himself told us earlier that he feels he made the right decision in training in Baguio City.