THERE are a number of golden opportunities in store for world-bantamweight champion Gerry Peñalosa should he successfully defend his crown this Sunday.

According to Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) public relations director Ramiro Gonzalez, every available marquee fight for Peñalosa would face them in the near future.

“Gerry is still good for a few more years because he is a very disciplined fighter. Easily, he can still extend his career for up to two years and I believe he can achieve that,” said Gonzalez who flew in to Manila three days ago.

Gonzalez said Peñalosa’s number one target remains to be World Boxing Organization (WBO) super-bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce de Leon of Mexico.

But first thing’s first. Peñalosa, 35, must hurdle his mandatory challenger Ratanachai Sor Vorapin of Thailand this Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum. At stake is the Filipino’s WBO bantamweight crown.

Gonzalez said the GBP fighters whom Peñalosa can look forward to facing besides Ponce de Leon are 122-lb champion Israel Vasquez, former two-division champion Rafael Marquez of Mexico. Even Mexican superstar Jorge Arce, though fighting under Top Rank, is said to be interested in challenging Peñalosa.

“Arce and Vasquez want a piece of Gerry. They know how big Gerry is in this division but, of course, he needs to score a convincing win this Sunday,” said Gonzalez.

Peñalosa on Wednesday opened his newly built gym at the Marketplace Shopping Mall in Mandaluyong City, where he also did some light training.

“I’m at 122 lb already. I can’t be overconfident because I know he’s deadest on winning. I also need to avenge my fellow Filipinos whom he beat,” said Peñalosa in Filipino.

Vorapin, 31, defeated 12 Filipino fighters since losing to Peñalosa via a sixth-round technical knockout (TKO) last November 2000 at the Casino Filipino Amphitheater in Parañaque.

In between, Vorapin held the WBO bantamaweight crown which he defended once before losing it to Mexican Jhonny Gonzalez via a seventh-round TKO in October 2005 in Arizona.

Peñalosa won the crown by stopping Gonzalez in the seventh round with a single shot to the body in a title bout held August of last year at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California.

Peñalosa has a record of 52-6-2 with 35 knockouts, while Vorapin is already a veteran of 81 fights, winning 72 of them, 48 by knockouts.

More difficult, huh?

Frankie Miñoza had said that to become champion of the Philippine Open, one has to beat the tough East course of the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club. 

Future still looking bright for Peñalosa

THERE are a number of golden opportunities in store for world-bantamweight champion Gerry Peñalosa should he successfully defend his crown this Sunday.

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