Against COVID-19, ex-champ Gerry Peñalosa throws in towel

By Nick Giongco

During his heyday, two-division world champion Gerry Peñalosa took on all comers, going even in the lion’s den in his daring quest to win a third world title in as many weight classes.

But the coronavirus is one opponent Peñalosa is not willing to test.

Not even in a light sparring session.

In fact, Peñalosa is so intimidated by the virus that originated in Wuhan that he hasn’t been out of his residence in Paranaque in more than three weeks.

Peñalosa, now 47, and retired from the fight game since 2010, has refrained from sneaking out the gate to check how the rest of the world is reacting to the pandemic.

“Delikado talaga (It’s really dangerous),” said Peñalosa in an interview with the Manila Bulletin.

Peñalosa, who left boxing with a 55-8-2 win-loss-draw record with 37 KOs and collected two world titlebelts—the World Boxing Council super-flyweight and World Boxing Organization bantamweight—has assigned someone to purchase the basic necessities his family needs.

Peñalosa has had advance notice before the government ordered a lockdown on March 15.

“When I saw him in the second week of March, Senator Manny [Pacquiao]told me that the President (Rodrigo Duterte) was seriously considering a lockdown,” said Peñalosa.

Anticipating the mad rush to the supermarket by the public the moment an announcement is made, Peñalosa went on a shopping spree.

“I went to the grocery and got what my family needed for two weeks,”said Peñalosa.

But it didn’t take long before Peñalosa used up his stockpile.

As his stash started to diminish, Peñalosa instructed his errand boy to reload.

Still, Penalosa feels for those who doesn’t have enough for grocery items.

“Naaawa ako sa mga taong na-sideline ng pandemic (I feel for those workers who were sidelined by the pandemic),” said Peñalosa, who won the WBC 115-lb title in Tokyo in February 1997 and the WBO 118-b plum in 2007 in Sacramento, California.

“Sa mundo ng boxing, kawawa ang mga boxers na umaasa lang sa bawat laban gaya rin ng mga trainers,” he said.

“Yung iba naman na kahit walang laban ay kahit paano ay kumikita kahit paano kasi nagtuturo sila sa mga fitness gyms.”

But with the lockdown in effect and the government looking to extend it to at least 15 more days or until the end of the month, these gyms will continue to be shut temporarily.

In a show of bravado in 2009, Peñalosa ventured into hostile territory, meeting Puerto Rican power-puncher Juan Manuel Lopez in Bayamon and losing when Freddie Roach decided that the Filipinosouthpaw had absorbed enough punishment.

A victory over Lopez would have given Peñalosa a third world title in as many weight divisions.

Over a decade later, and up against another formidable foe – COVID-19 – Peñalosa finds no need for Roach to step in. This time, he’s not taking any chances, throwing in the towel even before the opening bell.

Source: Manila Bulletin