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SEVEN months after flattening Mexican Jhonny Gonzalez for the WBO
bantamweight champion-ship, Geronimo “Gerry” Peñalosa will make
his initial defense of the 118-pound title by taking on old nemesis
Ratanachai Sor Vorapin Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.
The card dubbed “The In-vasion” will also
feature world title hopefuls AJ “Bazooka” Banal and Rey “Boom
Boom” Bautista. Undefeated (16-0) prospect Banal is booked to
challenge unbeaten (21-0, 13 knockouts) Caril “El Raton” Herrera
of Uruguay in an IBF super flyweight (or junior bantamweight) title
eliminator. Junior featherweight Bautista, on the other hand, will
look to continue the rebuilding of his career by taking on Mexican
journeyman Genaro Camargo.
The Peñalosa-Vorapin tussle, of course, is the
main attraction; the meat between the bread. The two first met in
Parañaque City in November 2000 with the Filipino knocking out the
Thai in the sixth round with a crushing right to the jaw.
Vorapin has since racked up 32 wins against only
five losses to bring his overall record to 72-9 with 48 knockouts.
Vorapin, 31, once held the WBO bantam crown Peñalosa currently
holds. A win by Vorapin will only give him back his WBO crown; it
will also avenge the humiliating defeat he suffered eight years ago.
A former Muay Thai (Thai traditional kickboxing)
champion, Vorapin comes from a family of boxers. An elder brother,
Ratanapol Sor Vorapin, reigned as IBF minimumweight title from 1992
to 1997. Ratanachai turned pro in November 1992 and won Thailand’s
super fly title within a year. In 1999, in only his second fight in
the United States, Vorapin kayoed Fernando Ibarra in six rounds.
Ibarra suffered from a blood clot and was in a coma for two weeks
after the fight. A year later, Vorapin lost his aura of
invincibility when he suffered his first knockout defeat against Peñalosa.
Vorapin rebounded strongly, going the distance
with future WBA jr. featherweight champ Yoddamrong Sithyodthong just
two months after the loss to Peñalosa. In 2001, Vorapin returned to
the U.S. and outpointed former two-time world titlist Danny Romero.
In May 2004, Vorapin finally became a world champ when he decisioned
rugged Mexican Cruz Carbajal for the WBO bantam belt.
Vorapin was on a 19-bout winning streak when he
lost the WBO title to Gonzalez in the first World Cup of Boxing
(Mexico vs. Thailand) in October 2005.
Vorapin is heading into the Peñalosa rematch on
a seven-bout winning streak. Unlike other Thai fighters, Vorapin is
comfortable fighting outside his home country.
“I like the world experience,” said Vorapin,
who was once promoted by American Don King. “I make more money
fighting outside of Thailand.”
Peñalosa and Gonzalez are the only fighters to
stop Vorapin. The Thai is a bell-to-bell fighter who does not
hesitate to maul, brawl and foul his way to victory.
Peñalosa, 52-6 with 35 knockouts, is not one to
back down from a slugfest. The defending WBO champion is the heavy
favorite to repeat over Vorapin. A former WBC jr. bantam champ, Peñalosa
retired in 2002 after failing to regain the crown against Masamori
Tokuyama. He returned in 2004 and has since posted a 7-1 win-loss
mark. While remaining a judicious counter-puncher, the 35-year-old
Peñalosa appears to have found a comfort zone in the heavier
118-pound division. He has been punching with authority, as
evidenced by the stoppage wins over Gonzalez and Mauricio Martinez.
Peñalosa’s lone defeat since 2004 has come
against WBA jr. featherweight champ Daniel Ponce De Leon. Peñalosa
went the full 12 rounds against the brick-fisted Mexican last year
and earned the respect of American fight fans.
While not looking past Vorapin, Peñalosa is
eyeing a big money rematch with De Leon.
Peñalosa-Vorapin figures to be interesting,
notwithstanding the fact the combatants had previously met. Vorapin
remains dangerous while Peñalosa is at the stage in his career when
he can grow old overnight.
Make no mistake though, Peñalosa is the pick to
prevail. The Methuselah of local boxing is aging like vintage wine.
History will not only repeat itself; lightning figures to strike
twice on the same place— Vorapin’s porous jaw.
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For comments, the writer can be reached at
atty_eduardo@ yahoo.com.
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