BANAL DECKS SPARRING PARTNER, BAUTISTA LOOKS SHARP
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 30 Mar 2008
AJ ?Bazooka? Banal decked bantamweight Jojo ?Flash Mongo? Intor (7-3-4, 3 KO?s) in the third round of a four-round final sparring session at the famed ALA Gym yesterday while Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista looked razor-sharp in his own sparring session with undefeated Joseph Omanz who has a record of 11-0 with 6 knockouts.
Respected Cebu boxing patron Tony Aldeguer said both Banal and Bautista were ?in top shape and confident? as they looked forward to the exciting fight card staged by the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN in cooperation with Golden Boy Promotions and the ALA Gym at the Araneta Coliseum on April 6.
The main event will feature WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa (52-6-2, 35 KO?s) in his first title defense since winning the WBO title in a stunning sixth round, one-punch knockout against highly fancied Mexican Jhonny Gonzales last August 11 in the Philippines-Mexico World Cup of boxing in Sacramento, California.
Penalosa?s mandatory title defense will be against crafty former champion Ratanachai Sor Vorapin who has a record of 72-9 with 48 knockouts, many of them against Filipino boxers prompting Penalosa to train extra hard in order to avenge his countrymen?s defeats.
Aldeguer conceded that Banal will have ?a tough fight? against Caril Herrera while Bautista is expected to have an easier task against Genaro Camago. Two of the country?s most promising young fighters Banal and Bautista with the hometown crowd behind them at the ?Mecca? of Philippine sports and entertainment are expected to put on an impressive display.
The undefeated Herrera who won the vacant WBC Latino super flyweight title as well as the vacant WBA Fedelatin crown with a sixth round TKO of Sergio Victor Caruso on February 25, 2006 has successfully defended his WBC title four times and sports an unblemished record of 21-0 with 13 knockouts. The hard-hitting fighter from Urugiay who is nicknamed ?El Raton? is coming off a first round KO of Nelson Daniel Monte last September 15.
Camargo who has a record of 16-3 with 10 knockouts and is nicknamed ?Duro? scored a third round knockout in his last fight against Jose Espinoza on December 14 after earlier scoring a first round stoppage of Julio Cesar Acosta who were basically journeymen fighters with no really impressive ring records.
In an effort to rebuild his confidence quickly, the handlers of Camargo matched him against Acosta just two weeks after losing by a third round TKO to Carlos Yanez, an undefeated featherweight who had a first round KO win over Carlos Rios who once challenged Luisito Espinosa for the world title in Koronodal for which Espinosa regrettably hasn?t still received his purse.
Viva Sports/Manila Standard visited the ALA Gym to watch Banal and Bautista workout under the late Gabriel ?Flash? Elorde award winner as ?Trainer of the Year? Edito ?Ala? Villamor and they both looked determined, sharply focused and ready to face the challenge to move ahead in their ultimate bid for a world title.
Banal will battle Herrera who is currently ranked No, 10 for the No. 1 spot in an IBF eliminator while Bautista will put his WBO super bantamweight Intercontinental title on the line against Camargo.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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