Two World Cup heroes arrive today

Two of the country’s six World Cup boxing heroes arrive early today, eager to share their victories with the Filipino fans who cheered them in their successful conquest of the Mexicans in Sacramento, California over the weekend.

Z “The Dream” Gorres and AJ Banal are set to plane in at 5:30 a.m. aboard PR 103, fresh from their triumphs in the Golden Boy’s RP vs Mexico “Copa Mundial de Boxeo (World Cup of Boxing) where the RP fighters won all but one of the six matches to claim the $500,000 trophy.

Gorres scored a stirring eighth round TKO win over ex-WBC light flyweight champion Eric Ortiz to grab the IBF Intercontinental super flyweight crown while Banal knocked out Jorge Cardenas in the third round.

Gerry Penalosa became the oldest Filipino fighter to win a world title at 35 when the former world champion, behind on points, knocked out WBO bantamweight champion Jhonny Gonzalez with a single left hook to the ribs in the seventh round.

Davao City’s Diosdado Gabi sparked RP’s onslaught with a unanimous eight-round victory over Jose Angel Beranza then Sultan Kudarat’s Michael Domingo bucked the odds to beat fancied Miguel Roman in another unanimous decision win in six.

Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista, however, failed to cap the Filipinos’ sweep bid as he was stopped by WBO super bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce de Leon in the first round.

Meanwhile, Gorres is set to receive a P100,000 incentive from Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes. – With report from Manny Villaruel