WILL BAUTISTA DO A DONAIRE?
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 29 Nov 2007
Both Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista and Nonito ?Filipino Flash? Donaire, Jr. are slated to face Mexican opponents in separate venues this coming December 1 (December 2 Philippine time). Bautista will be facing Antonio ?Barrio? Meza who is the Federaci?n de Comisiones de Box de la Rep?blica Mexicana (Fecombox) champion and they will be fighting for the WBO Inter-Continental super bantamweight title.
Donaire will be skirmishing with Luis ?Titi? Maldonado for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and International Boxing Organization (IBO) flyweight championship. Both Meza and Maldonado are from Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico.
Bautista and Donaire are both Cebuano speaking. Boom Boom is from Bohol, while Nonito is from General Santos City. Both places are renowned for producing top caliber boxers.
Both boxers trained at the plush Antonio L. Aldeguer (ALA) Gym in Banilad, Mandaue City. Both boxers have one loss in their professional career records. And each of them lost in California.
Bautista suffered his first loss at the hands of Daniel Ponce De Leon in the main event of the recent Boxing World Cup held on August 11, 2007 in Sacramento, California. Donaire's lone loss came in his second pro bout when he dropped a five-round decision to Rosendo Sanchez on March 10, 2001, in Vallejo, California.
Donaire was the underdog during his fight with Vic Darchinyan but went on to win the title unexpectedly. Bautista was highly regarded to win over Ponce de Leon after his teammates swept all the Mexican opponents in the World Cup, but later on suffered his first setback.
Boom Boom is aiming for another crack at the world championship hopefully after hurdling Meza. He will show the boxing world that he is very hungry for a victory and he is well prepared for the encounter with Meza.
Donaire hopes to unify the flyweight titles of the different boxing organizations if he prevails over Maldonado. Bautista wants a payback of the stunning first loss he suffered in his last fight. The Filipino Flash is now at the top of the world, while Boom Boom is fighting back to make it to the summit soon by wresting a world title, like Donaire.
On Sunday, the Filipino boxing aficionados will witness the two fights together in different venues ? Boom Boom at the Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City and Nonito at the Foxwood Hotel in Mashantucket, Connecticut. But through modern technology, the promoters will air the coverage of the Donaire-Maldonado fight at the Big Dome as a prelude to the Bautista-Meza main event.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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