Penalosa To Lead Filipino Sluggers in Battle of The Bantamweights

February 21 will be a great day for Philippine boxing’s rising stars as Gerry Penalosa and other Filipino sluggers will duke it out for boxing titles against their rivals in the “Battle of The Bantamweights.”

The main event will have former WBC super flyweight champion, former WBF super flyweight champion, and current WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa (53-6-2, 36 KOs) slugging it out with Mexico’s German "Panteonero" Meraz (20-11-2, 8 KOs). The 10-round match will be a tune-up fight for Penalosa who is slated to face Puerto Rico's Juan Manuel Lopez (24-0, 22 KOs), holder of the WBO super bantamweight belt, who is a dangerous fighter packing power punches in both hands.

Penalosa, according to renowned trainer Freddie Roach, is by far the best boxer that came from the Philippines in terms of technical mastery of the sport. A defensive fighter with a knack for destructive counterpunching, Penalosa is the favorite to win the upcoming match against Meraz.

Featured in the undercard are the top bantamweights from Mindanao: Rolando "Smooth Operator" Magbanua (13-0, 8 KOs) will go against Jose Angel "Bocho" Cota of Mexico for the WBO Interim Bantamweight championship; Jundy "Pretty Boy" Maraon (12-0-1, 9 KOs) will exchange leather with fellow Filipino Jason Igera for his WBO Asia Pacific belt; while Glenn "The Rock" Porras (20-3, 12 KOs) and Thailand's Daothon Sithsoey are to best each other out in a non-title fight.