FIRST LOSS NOW ENCOURAGES BOOM BOOM
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 27 Nov 2007
Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista was disappointed right after the stunning loss at the hands of WBO superbantamweight ruler Daniel Ponce de Leon during the recent Boxing World Cup when he gave the Philippines its only loss during the encounter with arch-rival Mexico in Sacramento, California, United States last August 11.
Ponce de Leon proved to be more physically powerful, knocking down the Filipino challenger twice in the first round forcing the referee to end the bout with just 2 minutes and 30 seconds had elapsed for the fight.
The scheduled battle with Antonio ?Barrio? Meza on December 2 at the Araneta Coliseum will be his comeback fight after the heart-breaking loss. ?The preparations are going very well. I am training harder right now because I am coming off from my first loss. I am determined to be back,? declared Bautista.
Despite his first defeat, the Boholano warrior believes he still has what it takes to become the next Filipino world champion. ?I am determined to recover. I will show them that I?m still here and very hungry for a victory that?s why I prepared very well for the encounter with Meza,? asserted Bautista.
Photo above shows the author with Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista during a visit at the ALA Gym in Cebu. (Photo by Mabel Samaco).
Meza has likewise thoroughly prepared himself in his training camp in Mexico City under the vigilance of his trainer, the former world champion Edgar ?Tuntun? Cardenas. The Mexican admitted that it?s going to be a difficult fight and he should go for a knockout in order to win convincingly.
The 25-year-old Meza is a southpaw and hails from Mexicali in Mexico, although he was born in Ciudad Obregon, in Sonora Province. He is the Federaci?n de Comisiones de Box de la Rep?blica Mexicana (Fecombox) champion. The fight with Boom Boom will be for the WBO Inter-Continental super bantamweight title.
A first loss is always harsh for a fighter, and it pained Bautista even more because he was the only loser during the World Cup and it was no less than the main event. ?He has fully recovered from the great setback and is anxiously waiting to go back to the winners? circle again,? said his trainer Edito ?Ala? Villamor.
Manny Pacquiao will always be an inspiration, having suffered a setback in the early days of his boxing career and had since then learned a lot from the KO loss at the hands of Rustico Torrecampo in February 1996. He came back stronger and more determined, winning the WBC flyweight title and the IBF superbantamweight crown.
The 21-year-old Boom Boom now has a professional record of 23-1 (17 KOs) while Meza is 23-3 (16 KOs). Bautista is pushing himself more and assured the fans to climb the ring this time a different fighter learning from past mistakes.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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