Peñalosa takes one last shot at greatness

MANILA—Former two-division world champion Gerry Peñalosa returns to the ring next month at the Zamboanga City Coliseum hoping to cap a colorful career with a victory that would erase a disappointing defeat to Puerto Rican Eric Morel earlier this year.

  Peñalosa will face Thailand’s former WBC youth light flyweight champion Yodsarnkeng Kietmangmee in the Oct. 10 bout.   “This is my final fight,” said the 38-year-old boxer. “I’m saying goodbye.”   Peñalosa last fought in Feb. 13 this year, when he lost to Morel at the Las Vegas Hilton.   The 22-year-old Kietmangmee (12-2, 8 KOs) won the youth title with a majority decision over Filipino Robert Rubillar on Feb. 25, 2005 and successfully defended the crown against another Filipino, Richard Garcia, on April 29 that same year. He lost the belt to Noknoi Sitthiprasert by a fifth-round TKO on  May 26, 2006.   Meanwhile, Peñalosa’s nephew Dodie Boy Peñalosa Jr., has returned to Manila after a frustrating stay in the US where his two fights were cancelled at the last minute. Dodie Boy Jr., son of former two-division world champion Dodie Boy Peñalosa, was to be co-managed by Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire and his manager Cameron Dunkin.   Dodie Boy was being eyed as a prospect for the 2012 London Olympics but decided to turn pro instead,  believing a lucrative career was ahead of him. But when his two fights in the US were cancelled and his promotional company reportedly went bankrupt, he decided to fly home.   Gerry said Dodie Boy Jr. was “frustrated because his fights always got postponed and I also heard his promoter was bankrupt and he was back to zero.”