NOVEMBER 23, 1997
SONGNAM, KOREA--Crafty lefty GERRY PENALOSA, 114 3/4, Philippines, came
off the canvas in the opening session, swept all rounds thereafter and
finally sank Korean southpaw YOUNGJOO CHO, 115, with solid body shots at
1:15 of the 10th round at Songnam Indoor Gymnasium.
It's Penalosa's 2nd defense since he dethroned Japan's Hiroshi Kawashima on an upset decision in Tokyo last Feb. The Filipino champ had the previously unbeaten Korean at bay in the first round, and attempted to finish the affair with a barrage of punches. Penalosa might be a bit careless and became wild to receive a countering southpaw right hook of the groggy Cho.
Surprisingly downed the champ on the sheet of trunks. But it's just a flash knockdown. Penalosa promptly stood up to beat the count. Cho, as short as the champ, began to bleed from a cut at the right eyebrow in the first session. Penalosa, from the 2nd round on, became cautious, sticking right jabs with precision that draw Cho's nosebleed. The champ was completely in command in every round from the 2nd. The 6th saw Penalosa make him gorggy with repeated 3-punch combinations. Cho kept weaving and circling so busily as to refuse to go down. Penalosa was patient enough to keep jabbing to make his face a bloody mess in the 7th. Cho showed his determination to attack him hard just 30 seconds in the beginning of the 7th and 8th, but Penalosa cleverly averted his desperate rallies to control the remaining of the rounds. Penalosa, in the 10th, came forward to whip the fading Korean with good combinations to the face and the midsection. His wicked right hook to the side of the belly knelt down Cho, who stayed there and barely raised himself up. But the referee Luis Carlos Guzman (Argentina) had tolled a fatal ten.
Penalosa looked too strong for the less experienced Korean who tasted his first setback, dropping to 11-1-1, 9 KOs. Penalosa, a year his senior at 25, bettered his mark to 38-1-1, 25 KOs. Scored after the 9th--Carol Castellano (US) 88-82, Marty Sammon (US) 88-83, and Kazumasa Kuwata (Japan) 88-82, all for Penalosa. WBC president Jose Sulaiman was in attendance, and he praised Penalosa's fine performance.
Cho, previously fighting in the 118-pound division, drew with world-rated compatriot Yonghoon Lee in Suwon, Korea, in Nov. of the previous year. But Korean experts pointed out that Lee suffered a shoulder injury during the fight, which enabled the youngster to show a better fight than expected to draw with the prefight favorite.
Penalosa, who lopsidedly beat Polo Saucedo on points in his previous non-title bout in Connecticut, now became free from the option agreement. Before he faces the mandatory contender Joel Luna Zarate of Mexico, his manager Wakee Saludo wishes to make his champ defend his title in his 3rd defense in his native Cebu, Philippines.
Promoter: Hwang Ki Promotions in association with Kukdong Promotions.
WBC supervisor: Frank Quill (Australia).
(11-23-97)
CAROL CASTELLANO (US)
| - | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | TOTAL |
| PENALOSA | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 88 |
| CHO | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 81 |
MARTY SAMMON (US)
| - | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | TOTAL |
| PENALOSA | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 88 |
| CHO | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 82 |
KAZUMASA KUWATA (JAPAN)
| - | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | TOTAL |
| PENALOSA | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 88 |
| CHO | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 81 |