Gerry Penalosa

On the virtual sidelines of last weekend’s 2nd Professional Sports Summit, we, along with other sports columnists and sports writers got to talk a bit with two division world champion Gerry Penalosa, the other half of the fighting Penalosa brothers.

Boxing has had to punch, jab, straight and hook its way to a recent comeback after being knocked out for several months by the outbreak. The recovery comes with stricter protocols and guidelines since boxing is a contact sport.

Coach Gerry has a stable of boxers whom he not only coaches but promotes as well, I’m pretty sure not just in the ring but outside of it as well, the fight of life or the sport of life as I’d call it.

As a boxer and fighter, Penalosa took on all comers, he fought the best those two won divisions offered at the time. He never dodged anyone, he neither ducked nor hid from any opponent his management put in front of him.

COVID-19 is a whole new different opponent Penalosa has faced, no fights, closed gyms, no sponsors, no advertisers and no pay per views. Some of the boxers Gerry promotes, according to him, have the potential to be Philippine, continental and world champion but they’ve had to stop training because of the pandemic.

It was an honor to speak to him about the sweet science and his career as a fighter and boxer and his new career as a promoter. Boxing is making a comeback slowly but surely, unfortunately, still behind closed doors and no fans.

We hope the latest vaccines and the ones in the pipeline knocks covid19 out hard enough that it doesn’t survive the 10 count.