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THREE Filipino world champions—bantamweight Gerry Peñalosa,
flyweight Nonito Donaire and minimum weight Florante Condes—were
regarded as the best boxers in their divisions by a leading talk
show host in boxing.
For his impressive knockout victory over Johnny
Gonzales early this month, Ring Talk radio show host Pedro Fernandez
chose Peñalosa, the World Boxing Organization bantam kingpin, as
the best fighter today in the 118-pound division.
Fernandez, a well-known talk show host and
communist also based his rating on Peñalosa’s narrow defeat to
122-pound ruler Daniel Ponce de Leon last year.
The “Crown King” Gerry, as he was called by
Fernandez, incidentally, is seeking to avenge that loss to
Ponce de Leon in his next title defense, which is still on the
negotiation table.
Donaire, whose scheduled defense of his title in
Dubai had been aborted, was adjudged the best 112-pounder for
beating former undefeated Vic Darchinyan and taking away the
International Boxing Federation flyweight crown.
As for the southpaw Condes, the talk show host
predicted that if given quality fights, he could give the
105-division the decency it badly needs.
Condes, who will be defending his crown against
top challenger Raul Garcia in Mexico this coming June owns an
immaculate 22-0 win-loss record highlighted by 20 stoppages.
Curiously absent in the honor roll is World
Boxing Council superfeatherweight champion Manny Pacquiao. He was
beaten for the honor by WBO titlist Joan Guzman.
The presence of Guzman (28-0 with 17 KOs) in the
130-pound category, according to Ring Talk, is the real reason why
Pacquiao is moving to the heavier 135-pound level. Meaning, the WBC
super-feather kingpin is afraid of Guzman.
Others in the elite group of the most
outstanding performers atop the ring in the 140-under weight classes
are Ivan Calderon, 108; Israel Vasquez, 122; Roberto “The Ghost”
Guerrero, 126; Nate “The Great” Campbell, 135; and Ricardo
Torres, 140.
-- Eddie Alinea
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