Peñalosa, Gorres to figure in eliminators for WBO crown

Gerry Peñalosa would get his chance to retire as world champion as the World Boxing Organization (WBO) has named the Filipino veteran in one of the boxing body's two eliminators for the bantamweight crown. And he might possibly face compatriot Z “the Dream" Gorres for the WBO bantamweight title, should the two of them prevail over their respective rivals in the WBO-ordered eliminators. According to BoxingScene.Com, WBO president Francisco “Paco" Valcarcel had ordered two bantamweight eliminators – Puerto Rican Eric Morel and Gorres for the interim WBO bantamweight championship on Nov. 14 beneath the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight and reigning Mexican champ Fernando Montiel against former titlist Peñalosa in December for the full WBO title. By 2010, winners of the two fights will face off to determine the sole WBO bantamweight kingpin.

This development granted Peñalosa’s wish to get a crack at the world title before he finally hangs up his gloves after an illustrious 20-year career. The 36-year-old Peñalosa is coming off a failed bid to be a three-division titlist against unbeaten WBO super bantamweight boss Juan Manuel Lopez of Puerto Rico last April, absorbing his first TKO loss. After that, the fighter who previously held the WBC super flyweight title and the same WBO bantamweight crown said he would want a title fight for his swan song in boxing. For his part, Gorres hacked out an injury-induced six-round stoppage of his Mexican foe, former world bantamweight champion Cruz Carbajal, in the undercard of WBO minimumweight champ Donnie Nietes’ successful defense against Manuel Vargas two weeks ago in Mexico. Gorres once vied for the WBO superflyweight title but lost out a split decision to Montiel in 2007 in Cebu. The two bantamweight eliminators, according to BoxingScene.com, were brought about by the “constant stall" in the fight between champion Montiel and mandatory challenger Morel. The Montiel-Morel duel had been postponed a number of times, including the planned Nov. 14 fight underneath Pacquiao-Cotto, forcing the WBO to order the Morel-Gorres and Montiel-Peñalosa eliminators. - GMANews.TV