San Carlos City Today…

World boxing champion Gerry Peñalosa of San Carlos City retained his WBO bantamweight title yesterday by stopping Thai challenger Ratanachai Sor Vorapin in the eighth round at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

The 35-year-old southpaw used his superior technical skills to repel the Thai’s power punches and moved in for the kill starting the fourth round where he rocked the Thai several times with brilliant combinations until the bell sounded.

The fifth, sixth and seventh rounds followed a similar script with the Filipino veteran finishing strong, leaving Ratanachai winded as he headed back to his corner.

There was no escaping Peñalosa’s fury in the eighth round, though. Peñalosa set up the kill with jabs, upper cuts and hooks as the Thai dropped his guard.

An uppercut to the face had the Thai dropping halfway. Another combination sent the Thai to the ropes and into the canvass. But Ratanachai beat the count.

He was getting too much punishment from Peñalosa, forcing referee Gino Rodrigues to stop the fight at the 2:31 mark of round 8.

As Peñalosa basked in the glory of his latest conquest, the Negrense champion called out WBO super bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce of Mexico, who inflicted him an unconvincing defeat in March 2007.

“I want Ponce De Leon,” Peñalosa, an 18-year ring veteran, said after the fight.

Peñalosa, who also had Manny Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, in his corner, said he wants to avenge the defeat of Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista, who was knocked out by De Leon in the first round of their showdown last year.

Peñalosa had said that he was offering his victories to his countrymen, especially to his home-city, San Carlos, Negros Occidental.

“Every fight is for my country, my family and my city,” he had said during his homecoming last year, shortly after he wrested the crown from Jhonny Gonzales of Mexico.

Peñalosa was joined in the ring by WBC super featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao, who congratulated the Negrense.

Pacquiao, who captured the WBC title three weeks ago, said he is confident Peñalosa will beat De Leon.

Peñalosa’s victory punctuated an impressive show by Filipino boxers in the fight card, dubbed “Invasion: Philippines vs. The World”.

Bautista continued to redeem himself, scoring a second round stoppage of Mexican Genaro Camargo, who was counted out after another knockdown scored by the Filipino. Teenager AJ “Bazooka” Banal defeated fellow unbeaten fighter Caril Herrera of Uruguay via technical knockout in the fourth round.

Ciso “Kid Terrible” Morales was also victorious, halting Korea’s Yoo Shin Kim in the fifth round.

Another Filipino, Michael Domingo came away with a second-round technical knockout win over Thepnimit Sor Chitpattana, while compatriot Bert Batawang stopped Indonesia’s Heri Amol in the seventh round.*CPT

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