Gerry Peñalosa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gerry Peñalosa |
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Peñalosa in 2008
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | Geronimo J. Peñalosa |
| Nickname(s) | Fearless |
| Rated at |
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| Height | 5 ft 4 in |
| Reach | 65 in |
| Born | August 7, 1972 San Carlos, Negros Occidental, Philippines |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 65 |
| Wins | 55 |
| Wins by KO | 37 |
| Losses | 8 |
| Draws | 2 |
Geronimo "Gerry" J. Peñalosa, born on August 7, 1972, is a famous Filipino former professional boxer. He competed in boxing from 1989 until 2010. Gerry is a two-time world champion, meaning he won major titles in two different weight classes. He held the WBC super-flyweight title from 1997 to 1998. Later, he won the WBO bantamweight title, holding it from 2007 to 2009.
Gerry Peñalosa is originally from San Carlos, Negros Occidental, a city in the Philippines. Today, he lives in Manila. He was mostly trained by the well-known boxing coach Freddie Roach. After he stopped fighting, Gerry became a boxing trainer himself, helping new boxers. His older brother, Dodie Boy Peñalosa, was also a world champion boxer.
Gerry's Boxing Journey
Starting His Career
Gerry Peñalosa began his professional boxing career in 1989. His very first fight was on May 20, 1989, against Fidel Jubay. Gerry won that fight by knocking out his opponent.
Winning a World Title
Gerry won his first big world title, the WBC super-flyweight championship, on February 27, 1997. He beat Hiroshi Kawashima in a decision. He successfully defended this title three times.
However, he lost the title to In-Joo Cho on August 29, 1998. Two years later, Gerry had a rematch with Cho to try and win his title back, but he lost again.
Taking a Break and Coming Back
On September 24, 2001, Gerry challenged Masamori Tokuyama for the WBC super-flyweight title. Tokuyama had taken the title from Cho. Gerry lost this fight by a close decision. They fought again on December 20, 2002, with the same result. After this, Peñalosa took a break from boxing for a while.
He returned to the sport two years later. On November 7, 2004, he defeated Bangsaen Sithpraprom to win the World Boxing Foundation (WBFo) super-flyweight title.
Fighting for Another Title
On March 17, 2007, Gerry faced Daniel Ponce de León for the WBO super-bantamweight title. In this fight, Gerry showed off his smart boxing skills and great defense. De León was known for his powerful punches, but he found it hard to land them cleanly on Peñalosa. Gerry fought back with sharp counter punches. Even though De León threw more punches, many of them missed. De León won the fight by a decision.
Becoming a Two-Time World Champion
On August 11, 2007, Gerry Peñalosa fought Jhonny González from Mexico for the WBO bantamweight title. The fight took place in Sacramento, California, in the U.S. Gerry moved down in weight for this fight and won the title from the younger Mexican boxer in the seventh round.
In the early rounds, González seemed to be in control, using his jabs to keep Gerry away. But Gerry stayed calm and kept moving forward. In the seventh round, González threw a strong punch that missed Gerry's head. For a moment, González left himself open. Gerry quickly threw a powerful left hook to González's body. The champion fell to the floor and couldn't get up to continue. This was Gerry Peñalosa's second world title, ten years after his first.
He defended his new title in Quezon City, Philippines, on April 6, 2008. He stopped former world champion Ratanachai Sor Vorapin of Thailand in the eighth round. This was the second time Gerry had beaten Sor Vorapin.
On February 21, 2009, Gerry fought German Meraz of Mexico in Cebu City, Philippines. This fight was not for a title. Gerry won by a unanimous decision after ten rounds.
A Moment Outside the Ring
After a big boxing match in Las Vegas, Gerry Peñalosa and Mexican boxer Jorge Arce had a tense moment. Reports said that Arce challenged Peñalosa to a fight. Gerry was with his wife and a friend at the time. Arce was reportedly upset when someone said Gerry was more popular than him. Gerry was annoyed by Arce's actions and tried to follow him, but his wife stopped him.
Moving Up in Weight Again
On April 25, 2009, Gerry fought Juan Manuel López in Puerto Rico for the WBO Super Bantamweight Championship. This was a special "Champion versus Champion" match because both boxers held WBO world titles. Gerry had the bantamweight title, and López had the super bantamweight title.
In the early parts of the fight, both boxers exchanged punches. López seemed to have a small advantage, hitting Gerry's head and body. Gerry kept fighting back with counterattacks. In the fifth and sixth rounds, Gerry landed some of his strongest punches. López then took control of the fight again. Before the ninth round, Gerry's trainer, Freddie Roach, told him he needed a knockout to win. The fight continued, and after the ninth round, Roach decided to stop the fight. This was the first time Gerry had lost a fight by knockout.
After the match, Gerry said López was "too big" for him. He mentioned that he felt López's punches. Gerry also said he gave his best effort. He then thought about retiring after one last fight. Many people, including his family and his friend Manny Pacquiao, wanted him to stop boxing. They felt he had nothing left to prove.
In April, Gerry was no longer the bantamweight champion before he challenged López.
Farewell Fights
Gerry Peñalosa decided to have one more fight. Many tough boxers were considered as his final opponent.
On February 13, 2010, Gerry faced Eric Morel (41-2) from Puerto Rico. This fight was for an interim WBO bantamweight title in Las Vegas. Gerry trained with Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao. The fight was part of a boxing event called "Pinoy Power 3." Gerry lost the fight by a split decision, which some people thought was unfair.
In the fight, Morel tried to hit and move, while Gerry was the aggressor. Gerry got a low blow in the second round and needed time to recover. In the sixth round, a clash of heads caused a cut over Gerry's right eye. Later, another headbutt caused a bad cut over his left eye. The cuts bled a lot, but Gerry kept fighting hard. He landed strong body punches and seemed to take control. Despite the bleeding, Gerry kept attacking. He fought hard in the final rounds, but the judges scored the fight for Morel. Many, including Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao, believed Gerry should have won.
After the fight with Morel, Gerry announced his very last fight. He fought Yodsaenkeng Kietmangmee of Thailand on October 10, 2010. This event was called "Golpe Golpe na Zamboanga: The Last Hurrah." Gerry won this final fight by TKO in the fourth round. He also said that the money from this match would help Z Gorres with his medical costs.
Gerry Peñalosa ended his 21-year boxing career with a record of 55 wins (37 by knockout), 8 losses, and 2 draws.
Life After Boxing
After retiring from fighting, Gerry became a boxing promoter. He helps new boxers, including his nephew, Dave Peñalosa.
Personal Life
On April 21, 2008, Gerry Peñalosa appeared on the Philippine version of Wheel of Fortune. He won P159,000 (about $3,791) on the show.
In 2008, Gerry also worked as a trainer for IBF flyweight champion Nonito Donaire.
Professional Boxing Record Summary
| 65 fights | 55 wins | 8 losses |
| By knockout | 37 | 1 |
| By decision | 18 | 7 |
| Draws | 2 | |
See also
- List of super flyweight boxing champions
- List of bantamweight boxing champions
- List of WBA world champions
- List of WBC world champions
- List of Filipino boxing world champions
