THE opponent of World Boxing Organization bantamweight champion Gerry Pe?alosa in a tune-up fight scheduled for Feb. 21 in Cebu is a workhorse based on his record last year alone.

German Meraz, the 22-year-old opponent chosen by promoter Cotabato Vice Gov. Manny Pi?ol to face Pe?alosa, has a record of 20-11, with 8 knockouts. But the striking statistic is that Meraz fought 13 times last year, winning 8 and losing 5. In fact, he had three fights in May alone.

Meraz won his last two fights by stoppage. On Nov. 8, 2008, he scored a fifth-round TKO over Juan Chabelas and in a rematch on Dec. 13, won by a fourth-round TKO.

The Mexican lost a unanimous eight-round decision to undefeated Zsolt Bedak (10-0, 3 KOs) on Sept. 27 and also dropped a unanimous decision to another undefeated fighter, Hernan Marquez (18-0, 14 KOs), on July 12 last year.

The only problem regarding the tune-up fight as of now is that it hasn?t been approved by WBO president Francisco ?Paco? Valcarcel, who said he would only approve the tune-up bout once the WBO received a signed contract for the announced April 4 title fight between Pe?alosa and WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel ?Juanma? Lopez.

Pe?alosa?s manager Billy Keane told www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports he was concerned that Valcarcel may get peeved over the fact that the tune-up fight was announced even before it had been sanctioned by the WBO.

But Keane said he was optimistic that the fight will happen, although he indicated that premature publicity won?t help. Ronnie Nathanielsz