Special Feature: Meet the Peñalosas — Philippine boxing's fightingest family

 

FOR MANY YEARS, the Peñalosa surname has been revered in Philippine boxing. Today, two budding third-generation stars are hoping to keep that legacy alive.

 

The Peñalosa all started with patriarch Carl, a fighter who once trained side-by-side with late Hall of Famer and Philippine boxing legend Gabriel "Flash" Elorde.

 

Carl rose through the ranks to become Philippine champion. But it was his children who made the Peñalosa name legendary. 

 

His eldest Dodie Boy became a Philippine boxing hero not just for his prowess in the ring, but also for his inspiring story: he overcame being stricken with polio as a child to become a two-time world boxing champion.

 

Dodie Boy made history after being the first-ever light flyweight (108 lbs.) world champion of the International Boxing Federation, winning the title against Satoshi Shingaki via 13th round technical knockout in 1983. He successfully defended his title three times before moving up to flyweight (112 lbs).

 

In 1987, he won the IBF world flyweight championship when he stopped Hi-Sup Shin in South Korea in just five rounds. Dodie Boy's second world title reign was short-lived, however, as he lost his flyweight title in his first defense. He retired in 1995, racking up a professional record of 31 wins (13 KOs), seven defeats, with three draws.

 

FOR ANY OTHER FAMILY, having a single two-time world boxing champion would be enough. But then again, the Peñalosas are not just any other family.

 

With his relatively recent success, Gerry Peñalosa is probably the most popular boxer in his clan. Armed with a southpaw stance and an uncrackable chin, Gerry fought his way up the ranks in a career that spanned for 21 years.

 

Gerry held world titles at super flyweight and bantamweight. Blessed with accurate counter-punching skills and preternatural defense, Gerry was rated by Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach as the best technical boxer to ever come out of the Philippines.

 

His punching accuracy and granite chin was best displayed when he fought hard-hitting Jhonny Gonzalez for the WBO world bantamweight title in 2007. Behind on scorecards, Gerry continued to press, shrugging off hard shots from the much-bigger Gonzalez in round seven. In an instant, Gerry slipped a straight right from Gonzalez, then threw a left uppercut to the Mexican's rib section.

 

A second later, Gonzalez was breathless on the canvass. He failed to beat the 10-count, making Gerry a world champion again after nine long years. Gerry hung up his gloves in 2010 after a farewell fight that saw him stop Yodsaenkeng Kietmangmee in four rounds. He compiled an impressive record of 55 wins (37KOs), eight defeats, with 2 draws.

 

Today, Gerry is still heavily involved in boxing, as he looks after world-rated challenger Michael Farenas. Gerry is also nurturing the careers of two more Peñalosa fighters hoping to bring glory to Philippine boxing's fightingest family.

 

COMING FROM A FAMILY OF FIGHTERS, and considering the boxing legacy of his namesake, it came as little surprise that Dodie Boy Peñalosa Jr. is now trying to carve his own legacy in the ring. He still recalls how he came to know the sport at a young age.

 

"My father taught me how to box and brought me to boxing events," remembered Dodie Boy Jr. "But I never thought nor expected that I'll be fighting in main events."

 

Though he was a member of a boxing clan, Dodie Boy Jr. was neither forced nor obligated to get into the sport. 

 

But as he grew older, the lure of the fight game, as well as encouragement from his friends, made Dodie Boy Jr. decide to pursue a boxing career.

 

Dodie Boy Jr. was a natural, rattling off 12 straight wins before taking the ring against Indonesian fighter Dicky Amtiran on Saturday night.

 

Amtiran was a late replacement after Dodie Boy Jr.'s original opponent Yon Armed fell ill a week before the fight. What little hope Amtiran had of an upset, Dodie Boy Jr. quickly extinguished in the opening round of the fight, as he floored the Indonesian with 30 seconds left before the bell. 

 

But despite hurting his opponent, Dodie Boy Jr. exercised great patience, unleashing calculated attacks to the body before a right hook to the liver felled Amtiran for good in the third round.

 

It was Dodie Boy Jr.'s 12th knockout in 13 wins.

 

After the fight, however, boxing was far from the only thing on the mind of Dodie Boy Jr. While he has turned professional, he never stopped going to college, where he is currently a third-year engineering student.

 

The fighting engineer? Dodie Boy Jr. likes the sound of that.

 

AT 15 YEARS OLD, Dave decided to follow the path of his brother Dodie Boy Jr. into boxing. He candidly admits the reason: He was jealous of all the attention that Dodie Boy Jr. got from their father, who also acted as the trainer.

 

Dave began to fight as an amateur, where he figured in 12 bouts, including a stint in the national championships, before turning professional. The move felt natural.

 

Unlike his brother, Dave, a second-year IT major, has already decided to stop going to school, temporarily putting on hold his goal of getting a degree.

 

"When I have a fight, I'm given about a month to rest," said Dave. "The thing is when I get back to school, it's hard to cope up plus my body is in pain."

 

He figured in one of his first big tests on Saturday night, as he competed in his first eight-round fight against Danilo Gabisay.

 

Dave dominated the fight from the get-go, making his opponent look helpless at one point. Dave was working the body in the third round, even stunning his opponent. But a brutal exchange at the center of the ring saw Gabisay drop Dave with a clean straight right.

 

For the first time in his career, Dave was on the canvas. But he managed to get up, and went for the kill in round four. A hard left straight from Dave sent Gabisay sitting on the ropes, which the referee called a knockdown. Smelling blood, Dave continued his attack and managed to drop Gabisay again, this time with a right hook in the last 10 seconds of the round.

 

One round later, it was all over. Dave had won his ninth straight fight.

 

Both still undefeated, the Peñalosa brothers carry on their dreams of becoming world champions one day, just like Dodie Boy and Gerry did before them. 

 

Four world champions in one family? The odds seem unimaginable. But then again, the Peñalosas were never just any other family.

 

JM Siasat is a sports journalist based in Manila, Philippines. He can be reached at jmsiasat@ymail.com. Follow him on Twitter @jmsiasat