It’s final – Gerry to fight in Tokyo

Lawyer Rudy Salud kept his word in sticking to his final purse bid of $300,000 and yesterday agreed to World Boxing Council (WBC) superflyweight champion Masamori Tokuyama staking his crown against No. 1 contender Gerry Peñalosa in Tokyo on Sept. 29.

Tokuyama’s manager Hideo Kanazawa tendered his last offer of $320,000 – of which $80,000 is earmarked for Peñalosa – and five round-trip airplane tickets in a letter coursed through matchmaker Joe Koizumi the other day.

Koizumi made an impassioned appeal for Salud to accept the Japanese bid.

"We can understand your earnest wish to promote this fight in your country but we also hope to stage it (in Tokyo) as there has been no instance in our boxing history that our champion fights abroad twice in a row," wrote Koizumi. "If Tokuyama should fight in the Philippines after his previous defense in Korea, it might be a strong cause for our press and our boxing fraternity to attack us… and deteriorate our reputation. We sincerely wish you to save our face."

In the end, Salud said he would not engage in a costly price war.

"I have really tried my best to bring this championship fight to Manila in consonance with the earnest wish of the boxing fans among my countrymen," Salud told Koizumi. "Indeed, we went to the limits of our costings by offering $300,000 which would have been the biggest total purse ever to be paid by a Philippine private promoter. Beyond this, I would not want to go for to do so might well be perceived by other segments of the Filipino people as thoughtless extravagance."

Salud agreed to Kanazawa’s last offer but asked for the option fee to be increased from $100,000 to $125,000. That means if Peñalosa beats Tokuyama, he will be able to defend his title against any challenger within 90 days on condition that Kanazawa executes an option agreement. If Peñalosa retains the title, he will then be given a purse of $125,000 to defend against Tokuyama or any other fighter of Kanazawa’s choice within the next 90 days. Under WBC rules, there is no automatic rematch in a mandatory title defense – so if Tokuyama loses to Peñalosa, he gets a chance to regain the crown on the second, not the first defense.

Salud explained that the $125,000 option is equal to the provision he signed in the In Joo Cho contract. Peñalosa fought Cho twice in Seoul and lost identical, disputed split decisions. Tokuyama recently knocked out Cho to arrange the mandatory showdown with Peñalosa.

Koizumi assured Salud of fair treatment in Japan.

"Our crowd is cosmopolitan, not nationalistic, so Peñalosa will fight Tokuyama as if he fights in his home turf or in some third country," said Koizumi.

Salud was at ringside when Tokuyama halted Cho in Seoul last month. Although Tokuyama looked awesome in poleaxing Cho, Salud said he isn’t worried.

"Wherever the fight will be, I’m not worried," said Salud. "Gerry has progressed 101 percent with (nutritionist) Dr. (Sanirose) Orbeta’s assistance. He’s stronger than ever. His brothers Erbing and Dodie Boy, who feel Gerry’s power with punch mitts, are complaining to me – their hands can’t take the pain anymore because Gerry’s too strong."

Peñalosa has scored three straight knockouts since enrolling in Dr. Orbeta’s program and Salud said the WBC has asked if it could include his nutrition formula in the agenda of the annual convention in Thailand this year. Salud said Dr. Orbeta’s ideas on sports nutrition are found in books – some of which are in libraries in China – and aren’t secret but he’ll never reveal the fine points of the special program that has kept Peñalosa within the 15-pound limit and more than doubled his power.