LARRY MERCHANT HAILS ?BOOM BOOM
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 08 May 2007
Renowned veteran HBO commentator Larry Merchant has hailed emerging ring sensation Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista as ?one of the best prospects he has seen? according to respected boxing patron Tony Aldeguer.
Aldeguer told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that Bautista spoke to Merchant after his grueling but handsome unanimous decision victory over tough, undefeated Argentinean Sergio Medina in a WBO title eliminator that earned Bautista a mandatory crack at the title of reigning super bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce De Leon. Bautista sealed the win with two knockdowns, one in the sixth round and the second in the eleventh when the 20 year old Bautista nailed the previously undefeated Medina with a perfectly-timed cracking right flush on the face which was distorted by the blow.
Aldeguer said Golden Boy Promotions vice president Eric Gomez and international matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz were ?very impressed? with Bautista and disclosed that there were many fight fans who said that the Bautista-Medina clash was the best of the three fights on pay-per-view which also included the main event between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Aldeguer said that after the fight Bautista was ?hounded by fans.?
Aldeguer conceded that AJ ?Bazooka? Banal who won handily in an eight round battle with Mexico?s Juan Alberto Rosas was ?not at his best and lost wind in the last two rounds.? Aldeguer disclosed that despite the comfortable margin on the scorecards of two of the three judges ?it was not an easy fight for Banal.?
He said Banal himself was ?unhappy over his performance? and there was no question he ?needs more experience.? The boxing patron who owns the famed ALA Gym said he felt Banal was awed by the hype and the occasion and that ?if he was at his best he would have knocked out Rosas.? However, Aldeguer said it was ?good exposure? for the 18 year old southpaw who maintained his undefeated record at 13-0-1 with 10 KO?s while Rosas dropped to 25-3 with 22 KO?s.
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