Dave Peñalosa fights Chinese foe in ‘Fist of Fury’ headliner

Dave Penalosa (left) and Weiyi Jiang (right). | Boxrec photos

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Dave “The Hunter” Peñalosa, headlines the ‘Fist of Fury’ fight card on June 28 at the Cebu City Sports Institute in Barangay Sawang Calero.

This latest stint is Peñalosa’s way of reviving his once promising career.

A proud member of the famed Peñalosa boxing clan, Dave Peñalosa, 34, will take on Chinese up-and-comer Weiyi Jiang in the main event of the card promoted by Cebuano sports patron Lorenzo “Chao” Sy under the Chao Sy Boxing Promotions. At stake is a yet-to-be-disclosed title sanctioned by the World Boxing Foundation (WBF).

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The son of former world champion Dodie Boy Peñalosa Sr. and nephew of boxing legend Gerry Peñalosa, Dave is on the comeback trail after a two-year layoff. He returned to the ring earlier this year and scored back-to-back victories over Vicente Casido, first via a sluggish six-round unanimous decision in February in Talisay City, then again in April with a more decisive win.

Peñalosa enters the bout with a 19-1 record, including 12 knockouts, a resume that far outclasses Jiang’s 2-1 mark with one knockout. Still, Peñalosa heads into the fight with little to no information about his Chinese opponent.

Jiang, based in Shenzhen, has built a reputation as a road warrior, having fought all three of his professional bouts overseas, twice in Thailand and once in South Korea. He’s coming off a loss to Thailand’s Nukul Nimmak in June 2024, dropping an eight-round unanimous decision in Thanyaburi.

Despite the setback, Jiang made a strong pro debut in 2023, scoring a fourth-round technical knockout against Thai boxer Manot Comput.

The undercard will feature another intriguing Philippines vs. China matchup as unbeaten Cebuano prospect Vicente Unidos (4-0, 3 KOs) takes on fellow undefeated fighter Tuohatasen Sailibieke of China (5-0, 3 KOs).

In another supporting bout, Jefre Jimenez (4-0, 2 KOs) and Marlon Alejandro (6-7-2, 1 KO) will battle for the vacant Philippine Boxing Federation (PBF) title.