Are Batawang and Penalosa popular in the Phillipines?

[Guest]

Were they popular before Pacman's rise or did people start noticing them after Pacman fought so many high profile fights?

I think they both are great veteran fighters. Just curious how much respect they have there.

[kadyo's]

Peņalosa is but not Batawang. Peņalosa became popular to some degree but not as popular as pac became when he beat marco. Before Gerry, there was another Peņalosa who caught the imaginations of pinoy boxing fans and that was polio stricken Dodie Boy Peņalosa who was the first pinoy to become a two time world champion. He's the guy in sleeveless shirt at the backround when gerry was being interviewed after the fight.

[Guest]

OK Cool. I wondered. That arena was packed so I figured they had pretty good followings.

[kadyo's]

OK Cool. I wondered. That arena was packed so I figured they had pretty good followings.

That arena has a 12k seating capacity and can be easily filled by bouts involving gerry, boom boom and banal. It was the also the venue of the ali-frazier rubber match, Thrilla In Manila in 1975. In it's maiden opening in 1959, it hosted the first biggest boxing match in the Philippines between a pinoy boxing legend Flash Elorde and Harold Gomes of PR.