Save for a minor glitch during the chaotic official weigh-in yesterday, it’s green and go for Gerry Peñalosa’s first defense of the World Boxing Organization (WBO) just before noontime today at the Araneta Coliseum.

Peñalosa perfectly weighed in at the bantam limit of 118 lbs, while his Thai challenger, Ratanachai Sor Vorapin, had to take off his underwear to tip in also at 118 lbs as local boxing men with no official business joined the officials from the Games and Amusements Board, Golden Boy Promotions (GBP), Filipino promoters and even cornermen as the boxers were weighing in.

“They all wanted to either see their faces on television or see their faces the next day in the newspapers,” said one Cebu-based trainer.

Owing to the confusion, Peñalosa and Sor Vorapin were not able to engage in the customary staredown following the weigh-in as the Filipino titleholder hurriedly left the Gateway Mall en route to his hotel room with his brother-trainers in tow.

Peñalosa was very calm and cool as soon as he arrived at the venue for the weigh-in and looking as if he’s going to take care of Sor Vorapin with relative ease.

The 35-year-old southpaw from San Carlos in Negros is heavily favored to retain the title he had wrested from Mexico’s Johnny Gonzlaez last year and a victory over Sor Vorapin will catapult him to a rematch with the fearsome Daniel Ponce De Leon sometime in August, and possibly against another Mexican of note, Rafael Marquez by the end of the year.

“There’s no more turning back,” said Peñalosa in the vernacular. “I am ready and I feel great and I am looking forward to tomorrow’s (today) fight.”

“Vorapin is not to be taken for granted. Look at his record, he has more fights than me and that shows his staying power,” added Peñalosa, who trained for almost 10 weeks for the fight, including five weeks spent under the watchful eyes of Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California.

A 19-year professional, Peñalosa has a 52-6-2 win-loss-draw card with 35 knockouts, while Sor Vorapin has a 72-9-0 card with 48 stoppages.

The first time they fought almost seven years ago, Peñalosa stopped Sor Vorapin in the sixth round, a stinging loss the Thai blamed for his showboating. The fight was on even terms when Peñalosa caught Vorapin as the mean-looking Thai danced away, his hands down his waist.

GBP vice-president Eric Gomez said today’s appearance by Peñalosa might be the last time the Filipino fight fans will get to see him fight live on local shores.

“Gerry Peñalosa will go down in history as one of the best Filipino boxers ever and this may very well be the last time you’ll see him fight here,” said Gomez, who is in charge of the promotional end of the company on behalf of Oscar De La Hoya.

Meanwhile, AJ Banal and Caril Herrera of Uruguay both came in at the limit of 115 lbs. This fight is a title eliminator in the International Boxing Federation super-fly class. Herrera arrived in the country only last Thursday after a 40-hour trip that originated in the capital city of Montevideo.

In the other main supporting tiff, Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista scaled in at 122 lbs, just like his Mexican foe, Genaro Camargo.

Ciso Morales, a promising super-bantam came in at 121 lbs for his scuffle with Yoo Shin Kim of Korea, who weighed in at 122 lbs.

Other Filipino boxers facing foreign rivals include bantam Michael Domingo against a Thai and light-fly Bert Batawang against an Indonesian.

The first fight starts at 7:30 a.m. and the Peñalosa-Sor Vorapin face-off is set at 11 a.m.

NOTES: Genaro Rodriguez, a Puerto Rican who now lives in Chicago, will be the referee for the main event. Rodriguez, 59, has been a referee for the last 22 years and today’s Peñalosa-Sor Vorapin will be his “seventy-something” world title fight under the banner of the WBO. Rodrigeuz’ last world title fight was the unification lightweight brawl between WBA champ Juan Diaz against WBO titlist Julio Diaz last year…Tickets for today’s fights are priced at R10,000 for premium ringside seats and R200 for general admission. Of course, there are other seats priced in between…Golden Boy Promotions Chief Operating Officer David Istkowich said the airfare along for the fighters and officials amount to ,000. The visiting fighters are from Thailand, Korea, Indonesia, Mexico and even Uruguay.