Gerry wants one last fight

MANILA, Philippines - Gerry Peñalosa is begging for one last fight before he retires – for good.

“One more fight. That’s all I’m asking for. Then win or lose, I will retire,” said the 36-year-old Peñalosa, more than a month after he took a total of 421 power punches and lost in nine rounds to Juan Manuel Lopez of Puerto Rico.

“I want to retire as a champion. That’s what I want to do,” added the fighter who gave up his WBO bantamweight (118 lb) crown to get a shot at Lopez’ super-bantamweight (122 lb) title in what turned out to be a one-sided fight.

Peñalosa took a severe beating against the bigger Lopez but never went down until his trainer, Freddie Roach, called for the stoppage of the bout after the ninth round.

Then came calls for Peñalosa to hang up his gloves.

“To those who are concerned, including my dear friend Manny Pacquiao, I say thank you. But I want to fight one more fight. It took me a month to think this over. In fact it was only last Sunday when I watched the replay of my fight with Lopez,” he said.

“Then I came to realize I want one more fight. It’s not for the money but because I feel I can fight one more time before I retire,” added Peñalosa during yesterday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s along United Nations Avenue.

To fulfill this dream, Peñalosa must earn a fight with the winner between Fernando Montiel and Erik Morel who will square off on June 27 in New Jersey for the title vacated by Peñalosa.

“I want that fight,” said Peñalosa, who added that for the past month he completely stayed away from boxing.

“Not even on TV did I watch anything that had to do with boxing. But it’s in my blood. I love the sport. And now I’m seeking a farewell fight. I won’t do it if I feel that I can’t do it,” he said.

Peñalosa then vowed that win or lose, that will be his farewell fight, and this early he said he wants it staged in the Philippines so he could give his fans and his countrymen a farewell performance.

“One more and that’s it because if I don’t retire, my wife (Goody) will be terribly mad at me. My two kids don’t want me to fight anymore as well as my mama (mother). They keep on asking when I will retire,” he said.

Peñalosa had once retired, following a bitter loss to Masamori Tokuyama in Japan for the WBC super-flyweight (115 lb) crown just five days before Christmas of 2002. He did not fight in 2003 but was back up on the ring in Septemper of 2004.