by Ronnie Nathanielsz

Following the impressive performance of the Pagara brothers from the famed ALA Gym – WBO International light welterweight champion Jason Pagara and younger brother and winner of the vacant IBF Intercontinental super bantamweight title Prince Albert Pagara -  the sons of former two division world champion Dodie Boy Penalosa Jr and nephews of the classy  former two division world champion Gerry Penalosa – Dodie Boy Jr and Dave Penalosa will pursue their own path to ring glory when they face solid opponents in a fight card at the Mandaluyong City Gym on July 26.

Fighting in a venue where “Fighter pf the Decade” Manny Pacquiao earned a reputation as an exciting, hard-hitting southpaw, both Dodie Boy Jr and Dave are determined to give fight fans the same kind of excitement that Pacquiao provided when he ran roughshod over a string of opponents as he climbed the ladder to fame and fortune.

Adding excitement to the Gerry Penalosa Promotions fight card will be the return of former two-time world featherweight title challenger, popular puncher Bernabe “The Real Deal” Concepcion who battles talented southpaw Eden “Mr. Showboat” Sonsona after an absence of one year and three months.

The fights will be telecast on the top rated weekly boxing show “The Main Event” telecast on Pinoy Box Office (PBO)  over SkyCable at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 2 and 9 with replays at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 3 and 10.

Dodie Boy Penalosa Jr, undefeated in twelve fights with 11 knockouts faces rugged Indonesian Yon Armed, the super featherweight with a record of 11-5-1 with 6 knockouts who is known to be a go-for-broke fighter in the mold of Mexico’s Mario Meraz who hurt Jason Pagara in the 4th round but lost by a TKO with one second left in the same round when referee Danrex Tapdasan called a halt to the fight after Meraz rose from a knockdown in his own corner.

The Penalosa brothers spirits were lifted after they received the wholehearted support of Filipino boxing fans at the plush Cotai Arena in Macau  when they figured in a Top Rank card last April 6,with Dodie Boy Jr scoring a 3rd round knockout over game Thai Nimithra Sithsaithong who dropped the 23 year old Penalosa in the opening round but was himself floored in rounds 2 and 3 to give Dodie Boy Jr a rousing victory.

On that same Bob Arum card  23 year old  Dave Penalosa also scored a knockout when he put away Thailand’s Cheroenchai Sithsaithong at :29 seconds of the second round.

Dave Penalosa, the super bantamweight who is considered by many as perhaps a more skilled fighter than Dodie Boy Jr with a bright future ahead of him, will take on 22 year old Danilo “Brutos” Gabisay who has a record of 3 knockouts in 5 wins with 2 losses and is a toughie who trains in Baguio City.

Gerry Penalosa told the Manila Standard that he has instilled in the brothers the  value of discipline and hard work and has cautioned them not to believe they are world beaters because of the Penalosa bloodline. He said, he wants the young brothers to earn a name for themselves by their own exploits in the ring and believes their fights on the 26th before the usually large crowd at the Mandaluyong Gym will show whether they have taken his advice to heart.