Gerry Peñalosa

Gerry Peñalosa was the quiet craftsman in the whirlwind of lower-weight boxing. Hailing from a boxing family—his older brother Dodie Boy was also a world champion—Gerry was a master of timing and counter-punching rather than brute force. He won his first world title, the WBC super-flyweight belt, in 1997, but his career is defined by extraordinary persistence. After a controversial loss and years as a top contender, many wrote him off. Then, at 34, he engineered a stunning career resurgence. Moving up in weight, he traveled to Japan in 2007 and dethroned the formidable champion Jhonny González to claim the WBO bantamweight title, a victory that made him a national hero in the Philippines. His disciplined, cerebral approach in the ring translated seamlessly to his post-fighting life as a respected trainer and promoter, guiding the next generation of Filipino fighters.