Dave Peñalosa Scales 136.5-lbs in WBC 30-Day Weigh-in for Dlamini Battle in Saudi Arabia

By Carlos Costa

CEBU, Philippines — World-ranked Filipino featherweight Dave Peñalosa (15-0, 11 KO’s), son of former two-time world champion Dodie Boy Peñalosa, scaled-in at 136.5 pounds in his WBC mandatory 30-day pre-fight weigh-in ahead of the southpaw’s collision against South African WBC # 11 Lerato Dlamini (12-1, 6 KO’s) in the Kingdom Saudi Arabia.

The Peñalosa vs Dlamini clash of civilizations will hit the stage for the WBC International Featherweight title on the evening of Friday, July 12, at the King Abdullah Sports Stadium in the City of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s port city on the Red Sea.

The rumble is one of the chief supporting bouts slated for the main-event battle of British-Pakistani superstar Amir Khan against Indian fighter Neeraj Goyat for the WBC “Pearl” Welterweight title.

In his last mission, the 28-year-old Peñalosa overpowered and stopped in four chapters tall, hard-punching Mexican Marcos Cárdenas (19-7-1, 15 KO’s) last February 2019 in a demolition work in Manila televised live on ESPN5 Philippines.

Meanwhile, his opponent “Lights Out” Lerato Dlamini, lands in Saudi Arabia from a far away win by points over Tanzanian Haidari Mchanjo (10-6-4, 4 KO’s), a 10-round duel that took place in East London City, South Africa, in October of last year.

Dave Peñalosa’s 30-day weigh-in procedure unfolded Tuesday, July 11, at the Philippines government boxing authority, the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) Cebu Extension Office. The scaling-in was supervised by GAB Cebu Officer-in-Charge Arlene M. Olondriz.

Present during Dave’s weighing was Dave’s dad, former world-class fearless warrior 2-time world champion Dodie Boy Peñalosa.

Dave Peñalosa weighed-in at 136.5 pounds one month before fight night

Since the WBC procedure was a 30-day pre-fight weigh-in, Peñalosa was required to weigh no more than 10% higher than the featherweight division weight limit (126 pounds). The unbeaten Filipino warrior passed the test with flying colors.

As a result, Dave Peñalosa and Lerato Dlamini continue in collision course.

“That’s great. The train continues on track. Dave’s weight is more than ideal thirty days before fight night,” said Dave’s uncle and promoter two-division world champion Gerry Peñalosa, founder of the popular Peñalosa Boxing Gyms in Metro Manila, Philippines.

“I feel in my heart that this WBC fight is a fantastic window for my nephew Dave (Peñalosa) to display his great boxing skills, speed, power and heart in a great card against a good boxer like the South African Dlamini.”

The Filipino young gun sweats, trains, and spars daily here in the Philippines’ Queen City of the South, Cebu City, under the supervision of his father and coach, Dodie Boy Peñalosa.

Dave Peñalosa’s opponent for WBC Int’l crown is South African Lerato Dlamini

The intriguing fight of “The Hunter” Dave Peñalosa squaring off “Lights Out” Lerato Dlamini for the vacant WBC International Featherweight Belt on July 12 in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is a production of Super League Boxing (SLB), the successful promotion company founded by British businessman Bill Dosanjh and Amir Khan in 2017.

The Jeddah show on July 12 is endorsed by the Saudi Sports Authority.

The author Carlos Costa is a Panama boxing reporter living in the Philippines. Carlos can be reached at carlos512@hotmail.com and whatsapp/viber/wechat +639184538152.