Watch out for the hard-hitting Peñalosa brothers

After the smashing victories of the Pagara brothers Jason and Prince Albert, now comes another pair of celebrated boxing brothers, Dodie Boy Jr. and Dave Peñalosa.

The unbeaten Peñalosa brothers, who both campaign in the featherweight division, are the sons of former two-division world champion Dodie Boy and nephews of former two-division world champion Gerry. They will showcase their skills and promise for the future in an exciting fight card promoted by Gerry Peñalosa at the Mandaluyong City Gym, a recognized hotbed of boxing in Metro Manila.

The venue brings back memories of a skinny teenager named Manny Pacquiao, whose courage and punching power soon became legendary as he smashed one opponent after another en route to an amazing career that established him as one of the greatest champions of all-time and the acknowledged “Fighter of the Decade.”

Another significant fact is that the venue has been associated with the distinguished Abalos family. We vividly recall how then Mayor Ben Abalos, a genuine boxing enthusiast, was at every fight card where Pacquiao was featured in the weekly program “Blow by Blow” which we produced in partnership with true blue boxing men Lito Mondejar and the late Rod Nazario and Moy Lainez.

Mayor Abalos enjoyed every moment of the action because he was – and still is-  a passionate follower of the sport. Ben Abalos’ son Benhur Abalos is the current Mayor of Mandaluyong City and has followed in the footsteps of his father in guaranteeing a solid, caring  performance as a local government executive and a supporter of sports and youth development.

It is against this background and within somewhat of a storied historical perspective of boxing and Mandaluyong City that the Peñalosa brothers, who are products of an established championship bloodline, plan to give the usual huge crowd that packs the venue an example of their own career path to glory.

We had an opportunity to watch the Peñalosa brothers train last week at the Elorde Gym in Mandaluyong.

Since Viva Sports will cover the fights for telecast on its top rated weekly boxing show “The Main Event” on Pinoy Box Office (PBO) over Sky Cable on Saturday, August 2 at 8:30 p.m. we wanted to see for ourselves whether the brothers had improved from the last time we saw them in action at the Cotai Arena in Macau in April last year.

In that card, Dodie Boy Jr. (12-0-0 with 11 KOs) was dropped by Thailand’s Nimithra Sithsaithong in the opening round but came back to deck the Thai once in Round 2 and then again in Round 3 to win by a TKO while Dave (8-0-0 with 5 KOs) stalked his Thai opponent Ngaotawan Sithsaithong to win also by a third-round TKO.

Dodie Boy Jr. also made an impressive US debut when he scored a second-round knockout victory over Jesus Lule at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Dodie Boy Jr. in particular showed hand-speed, power and good movement in six rounds of torrid sparring with former two-time world title challenger Bernabe Concepcion, himself a talented, heavy-handed fighter.

The southpaw Peñalosa provided Concepcion with a tough workout in preparation for the southpaw and formerly world-rated Eden Sonsona.

The sparring was so intense it almost seemed like a fight which not only pleased Gerry Peñalosa but also lifted our spirits as we track the fortunes of our young fighters in their quest for fame and glory.

Dodie Boy Jr. and Concepcion went toe-to-toe in some furious exchanges with both fighters connecting with a variety of punches that indicated they were both in fine condition.

Dodie Boy Jr. will face Indonesia’s rugged Yon Armed who they claim comes armed with a fighting heart and aggressive intent. It’s a step up in competition for the young southpaw who is determined to show the promise his father and uncle dream of.

Even Gerry Peñalosa was thrilled as Dodie Boy Jr. and Bernabe went after each other even as Gerry pointed out that while they are friends outside the ring when they face off even in sparring, they give it their best shot which is what fight fans expect Dodie Boy Jr and Concepcion to do on Saturday against separate opponents.

Dave Peñalosa, also a southpaw in the Peñalosa tradition, did well but after watching Dodie Boy Jr. and Concepcion go after each other, Dave’s sparring with Ronald Postranos was less intense but not lacking in skill.

Quite a few fight fans believe that Dave is a little more skilled all around than Dodie Boy Jr. and this will surely be tested when he battles Baguio-trained Danilo Gabisay on the undercard.

There were concerns when Dodie Boy Jr. left behind a promising amateur career with a 27-0 record to turn pro that he was a sucker for a right straight but when Concepcion caught him with his vaunted right, Dodie Boy Jr. hardly flinched, giving credence to the theory of our late friend, World Boxing Council founding secretary general Rudy Salud who had a study conducted which revealed that Filipino fighters generally toughen up around 22 or 23 years of age and are able to withstand big shots to the jaw.

Clearly the Peñalosa brothers, as Gerry has often reminded them, cannot depend on their esteemed family name to carry them to world titles. He has told them they have to carve their own name and that skill is not enough – they need discipline, hard work, sacrifice and focus to succeed.

The Pagara brothers of the famed ALA Gym put on an explosive performance at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino and while the Mandaluyong Gym may be nowhere near the elegance and class of the Waterfront Pacific Ballroom, it’s in sweaty, hot and humid venues like this where fans gather to watch fight cards.

We will find out on Saturday whether the Peñalosa brothers have the potential to become household names and ring warriors like Pacquiao, in a venue where champions are made.