'BOOM-BOOM' STILL PINES FOR DE LEON BOUT
By Salven L. Lagumbay
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 07 Oct 2009
Acknowledging that he made too many mistakes in their first encounter, ALA fighter Rey 'Boom Boom' Bautista has vowed to be a much more mature fighter and rectify past shortcomings as he traces the long road back to glory with a comeback fight on October 16 against Indonesia's Marangin Marbun at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel.
Although not looking past his next opponent, however, the 23-year-old native of Candijay, Bohol also made known that he wants to get rid of a monkey off his back, that is to face once again Mexican Daniel Ponce de Leon, who shamed him with an earth-shaking first-round TKO defeat at the Boxing World Cup in 2007.
"That's the fight that I still dream up to this day. I want to face whoever they want to put in front of me, but a fight with Ponce de Leon mesmerizes me no end," said Bautista in an interview over radio program "Pinoy Boxing" over DyHP-RMN last Sunday.
Coming off a long layoff and a left hand operation, Bautista takes the first step toward that dream when he takes on Marbun for the vacant interim WBC International featherweight title headlining the "Hamon sa Kampeon" card.
"I've learned a lot as a fighter after my loss to Heriberto Ruiz. I'm sorry I have disappointed a lot of fans. But we all make mistakes. Im just a fighter. I have learned my lessons well," added Bautista, who remains to this day a hugely-popular local fighter due to his hold-no-prisoner fight attitude.
ALA trainer Franklin Albia, who gets pointers from Edito and Ala Villamor in training Bautista, has indicated that they have incorporated several technical additions to Boom-Boom's style, aimed at making him move his head better without depriving him of his usual exciting style.
The Villamor brothers have delegated the coaching chores to Albia as they have been jetsetting to and from the United States with sidetrips to Mexico accompanying other ALA fighters now campaigning abroad.
"In fact, me and Edmund will be leaving on October 18 again for the US. He will be in LA, and I'll be going to Las Vegas to watch over (Z) Gorres and (Mark) Melligen, respectively," clarified Ala Villamor, one of the busiest ring tacticians in the country today.
Gorres is set to face Eric Morel for the interim WBO bantam title underneath the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto superbout on Nov. 14, while Melligen takes on Mexican Michel Rosales the night before.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Salven L. Lagumbay.
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