Maligayang kaarawan, Fearless Geronimo Peñalosa!

The legend turns 45 today.

Now, for all the youngheads with not quite full KSAB-ometers, this cat was a supreme technician, nonpareil body puncher and tough as nails badass who operated in the late 20th century, debuting in the Reagan administration, priming out in the late nineties and remaining active (not to mention good) for a healthy swath of the new Millennium until the beginning of this current decade for a whopping sum 21 year career. That's bananas for someone in the flyweight range.

Were it not for the fluke happenstance of Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao being conceived on a romantic bedding of flattened cardboard boxes, Gerry would probably be recognized today as the Philippines' undisputed GOAT boxer. Freddie Roach himself once remarked, per Ryan Songalia, that Peñalosa is the most skilled (note: different statement from "greatest", though IMO at least he's a clear 2nd in that regard) Filipino in the sport's history.

Uncle Gerry now runs a gym and several of his relatives are carrying on the family legacy as unbeaten prospects. Happy birthday, champ!

 

Hot take: if they had met h2h in the early 2000's at, say, bantam, Pacquiao vs. Peñalosa would've been a pick 'em.

 

Okay so nearly twenty other threads have gotten bumped since this was made, half about Ward and most of the other half about the ratchet freaking heavyweight division.

STFU about dumb shit and somebody wish Peñalosa happy birthday or I'm banning everybody.

 

Okay so nearly twenty other threads have gotten bumped since this was made, half about Ward and most of the other half about the ratchet freaking heavyweight division.

STFU about dumb shit and somebody wish Peñalosa happy birthday or I'm banning everybody.

 

Check out the Ponce De Leon, González, Kawashima, & Tokugawa fights...and Morel where he got robbed blind.

 

...and unless I'm mistaken, Pacman himself once said at one point he wasn't sure he'd beat Peñalosa. They never would've fought though, as they were good buddies.

 

So, true story, you know how some people sing in the shower? I've usually always shied away from doing that, because I'm self-conscious of how embarrassing anyone passing by and overhearing would be...and yet, that hasn't prevented me from quite often speaking very loudly (using chest voice, certainly no quieter than most people sing, and certainly not drowned out by even the noisiest water pressure...just belting it out like an operatic diva) speaking in tongues. Just utter nonsense in a constant breathless stream of consciousness, in an evil raspy voice.

Sometimes also I do this while shopping and only become aware I'm doing it when mothers suddenly move their carts and children rapidly away from me.

 

Eetskat borgnia scyubiashka matulia graaaaanshkobatsa henenennitawgliAAAAHR!!, for instance.

 

Dare you to say it thrice in a row.

You prooooooooooobably won't summon Baoht Z'uqqa-Mogg. It's like 8xd12 you don't, ya dig?

 

Manny and Gerry used to spar, early in the former's career. Would be great if videos of those sessions were to surface.

 

Yep, lots of road splits.