Gerry Penalosa, Rey Boom Boom Bautista, AJ Bazooka Banal, & Ciso Morales: Filipino Boxers Win at Invasion: Philippines vs. The World!

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Gerry Penalosa, Rey Boom Boom Bautista, AJ Bazooka Banal, & Ciso Morales: Filipino Boxers Win at Invasion: Philippines vs. The World!

Congratulations to World Boxing Organization (WBO) Bantamweight Champion Gerry Peñalosa who successfully defended his belt against Thailand’s Ratanachai Sor Vorapin! Gerry staged the successful defense in Golden Boy Promotions and ABS-CBN’s “Invasion: Philippines vs The World” boxing event held at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

Dubbed as the best technical fighter among Filipino boxers, the 35-year-old Gerry Peñalosa won with a scintillating finish in the 8^th round! The referee stopped the fight with 29 seconds remaining in the 8^th round! The face of the 31-year-old Ratanachai Sor Vorapin was bloodied and all - brutal! Gerry Peñalosa knocked down the challenger from Thailand twice, i.e., in the fifth and seventh. A series of combinations nearly knocked Ratanachai Sor Vorapin down in the 5^th round - sending him down on his knees. However, the tough Vorapin put his arms around Gerry Peñalosa's waist to break his fall and all. And truth be told, Ratanachai Sor Vorapin used a number of dirty tactics during the fight – but to no avail! Gerry Peñalosa, who now has a win-loss slate of 52-6 with 35 knockouts, plans to take on (Daniel) Ponce de Leon next! And I kid you not!

And more congratulations to the Filipino boxers featured in the event! They all won all their respective matches! No kidding! These include Rey "Boom-Boom" Bautista, who knocked out Mexico’s Genaro Camargo in the second round of a 12-round match to retain his World Boxing Organization (WBO) inter-continental super bantamweight title. Rey Boom Boom Bautista sent Genaro Camargo to the canvas, twice, in the first round. Bautista sent him down again for the third and final time with 57 seconds into the second round.

Filipino boxer Ciso Morales also defeated Yoo-Shin Kim in a 12-round match. The referee stopped the fight in 2:24 of the 4^th round, realizing that the bloodied Yoo-Shin had taken enough punishment from Ciso Morales. Morales successfully retained his WBO oriental super bantamweight title.

Moreover, Filipino boxer A.J. "Bazooka" Banal defeated Uruguay’s Caril Herrera in the first bout of the Invasion:

Philippines

vs. The World boxing event. The referee stopped fight in the 4^th of the 12-round bout. A flurry of punches to the face sent Herrera for a standing eight-count in the 3^rd round! The technical knockout was clocked at 1:18 into the 4^th round.

Among the spectators at the Invasion: Philippines vs. The World boxing event held at the Araneta Coliseum were World Boxing Council Super Featheweight Champion Manny Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach, Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez, and former World Boxing Association bantamweight champion Luisito Espinosa!