BOOM-BOOM DECLARES: I AM READY
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 28 Apr 2007
Bautista (L) with Oscar's brod Joel de la Hoya.
Boholano ring sensation Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista, speaking from Puerto Rico where he is about to wrap up his training, declared that he is ready and superbly conditioned for his upcoming fight with undefeated Argentinian Sergio Manuel Medina this coming May 5 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Bautista-Medina fight opens up the PPV show of the blockbuster De la Hoya-Mayweather "The World Awaits" boxing event.
"I'm well conditioned and I'm ready," Bautista, who had his last sparring session yesterday, told PhilBoxing.com.
Bautista logged on more than 40 rounds of sparring in Cebu, more than 30 in Los Angeles and more than 50 in Puerto Rico for a total of more than 120 rounds of sparring in preparation for this fight.
Members of Team De La Hoya pose for posterity in Puerto Rico.
However, Bautista said that in the last few days he and Banal, the other Filipino boxer training in Puerto under Freddie Roach, were forced to spar with each other as their regular sparring partners had refused to spar with them any longer.
"They shy away from us," Bautista said referring to their sparring mates. "Coach Edito had contacted two new boxers for us for our last sparring. I hope they will come," Bautista said.
Bautista had been sparring with super featherweights Jonathan Oquendo and Billy "The Kid" Dib and a couple of lightweights. Eariler reports indicated that Banal had busted the nose of one of his sparring partners. "When we arrived two weeks ago, they asked us to spar with them but now no more," Bautista concluded.
Asked what strategies they had prepared for Medina, ALA Gym head trainer Edito Villamor said that he and Freddie Roach had prepared something but "will not divulge it to PhilBoxing as this might be intercepted by the Medina camp."
"Medina is a good boxer who likes to mixed it up. All I can say is watch the fight and our boxers will give a great show for our fans and for our country," Villamor said.
The two ALA Boys Bautista and Banal are set to break camp Sunday and will fly to Las Vegas on Monday to participate in the week-long hoopla that accompanies that biggest fight in decades between Oscar de la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. as the world awaits with bated breath.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
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