I tend to go to most of the reasonably big fight shows somewhat nearby. I've only seen a couple fights of Jhonny Gonzalez, and I think just one of Daniel Ponce De Leon and Rey Bautista. Anyway, with the styles and all, in terms of entertainment, what kind of fights are to be expected from the card? At The Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA (HBO) Jhonny Gonzalez (34-5) vs. Gerry Penalosa (51-6-2) (The Ring Magazine #5 Bantamweight vs. Unranked) (WBO Bantamweight belt) (HBO) Daniel Ponce De Leon (34-5) vs. Rey Bautista (23-0) (The Ring Magazine #5 Jr. Featherweight vs. #6) (WBO Jr. Featherweight belt) Bert Batawang (50-6) vs. Francisco Rosas (19-5-1) Z Gorres (26-2-1) vs. Gerson Guerrera (33-7) Miguel Roman (21-0) vs. Michael Domingo (31-14-2)
I think Gonzalez will beat Penalosa in a good but not great fight. Penalosa is very skilled but he's small and old. Gonzalez will be noticeably bigger and stronger and he's more skilled than Ponce De Leon, who beat Penalosa in a close fight IMO. Penalosa will pose problems with his defense and his accurate punching but at the end of the day, Gonzalez strenght, power and size will prevail. Ponce De Leon vs Bautista is really a toss up at this point, Bautista can be hurt, he doesn't have the best defense in the world but he's fairly fast and accurate and he packs a good punch. De Leon can take a punch though, and although he's unorthodox and wild swinging, he can be a pretty effective fighter who has fight changing power. He can also launch very hard punches from very akward angles that look awful but can stop an opponent suddenly, without any notice. I think this one will be a pretty good fight. Bautista can outbox De Leon but he'll be the hardest puncher he's ever faced and one that wont get discouraged by a lack of success early in the fight. If I had the chance, I'd go for sure. I don't know about the other fights.
(HBO) Jhonny Gonzalez (34-5) vs. Gerry Penalosa (51-6-2): Gonzalez has a big size advantage over Penalosa. But Penalosa was a long reigning Flyweight champion who just gave Plodder De Leon a good thrashing. I expect this fight to be a bit more tactical than savage, with Jhonny taking the decision. (HBO) Daniel Ponce De Leon (34-5) vs. Rey Bautista (23-0): I think De Leon is 31-1. This is the fight for me. De Leon is a savage puncher but lacks fundementals, Bautista is a decent puncher with better fundementals but a suspect chin. I honestly think Bautista should've waited a year before tackling De Leon, but he has a very good chance of upsetting De Leon for the title. This fight should have fireworks for as long as it last. I'll take Bautista by late TKO. Bert Batawang (50-6) vs. Francisco Rosas (19-5-1): Bert is ancient and was only a good local contender for his career. I don't see why he's on this card at all. Rosas isn't anything special either. I think the fight could be exciting as Batawang style favors punching over defense. I'll say Batawang by UD. Z Gorres (26-2-1) vs. Gerson Guerrera (33-7): Gorres is a slickster and probably one of two best southpaw slicksters in the flyweight divisions along with Donaire. He had a close fight with Montiel in which many thought he won despite being hurt late (it went to a SD). This fight will definitely be technical. This is probably a gimmie fight for the Phillipine side to make sure that they at least win one. Gorres should take a well fought out decision over Gerson. Miguel Roman (21-0) vs. Michael Domingo (31-14-2): Roman should brutalize Domingo. This is the Mexican side's gimmie fight to make sure they win at least one.
whose Diosdadi Gabi fighting? i heard he got added to the card. i think the matchups overall favor the Mexicans but don't count the Pinoys out!
They do by far. Gonzalez and De Leon are going to be favoried over Penalosa and Bautista and for good reason. But pinoys have been creating some upsets lately with Nonito and Condes so I wouldn't count them out.
Gonzalez is hit-and-miss, but mostly hit. The Montiel fight was one of the few where he (Gonzalez) was in a stinker, but I blame that more on Montiel, who's been in more than his share. Not sure what to expect of this fight; Gonzalez' chin shouldn't be an issue in this fight, and is an underrated boxer. Apologies to Donnybrook, but I really don't like Penalosa's chances in this fight. On paper, Ponce-Bautista seems like it can be a FOTY candidate. I think it's actually the perfect fight to create the perception that Ponce isn't a complete caveman. Bautista's fun to watch, but the one thing I got from his last fight, even though it was a title eliminator, was that he wasn't ready for a title shot. I think he's being rushed into this one. He's there to be hit and doesn't have the greatest chin in the world - the two worst possible flaws you can have when facing Ponce. Many sense a potential upset here, since Ponce can so easily be got. I see a mismatch, one that possibly ruins what would otherwise be a promising career had Bautista developed for another year or so. Mickey Mouse Roman appears to be the goods, and is always fun to watch. I don't know much about his opponent, or anyone else on the card. I've seen clips of Z Gorres, but my "knowledge" of him is limited to what I've read about him on undercard fight reports, which are usually limited in terms of detail and even accuracy.
Do you see this fight going like the fight against Too Sharp? I think Penalosa has more left in the tank at this point than Too Sharp did against Gonzalez. I could see Penalosa slowing down the rythm and make the fight closer because of that, he's very crafty. That's why I see this fight going the distance but being a bit boring. I think Gonzalez will win too.
The Gerson Guerrero - Z Gorres fight should be a good one. Guerrero doesn't have much of a chin, but is a very capable boxer.
