BAUTISTA VS MENDOZA FACE TO FACE: THE BETTER CHIN WINS (PHOTOS)
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 08 Dec 2011
Lapu-lapu City ? Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista (31W-2L, 23 KO's) of the ALA Gym and Miguel Angel Mendoza (17W-0L-1D, 17 KO's) of Mexico predicted knockout wins during the final press conference held Thursday noon for PINOY PRIDE X held at the EGI City by Sea Hotel Resort.
When asked to comment about Mendoza's earlier prediction that he would win by sixth round knockout, Bautista answered ?Maybe he won't even reach the sixth. We'll see on the day of the fight but this will not be my hardest fight.?
?One of them will go down,? ALA gym trainer Edito Villamor predicted, ?Both are power punchers and fans should expect a great fight. We have adjustments prepared for Boom-Boom. What we saw in Mendoza's fight videos may be different on fight night. They may change and adjust his wild punches.?
Bautista will make the first defense of his IBF International featherweight title against Mendoza this Saturday at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-lapu City. Both are power punchers with Mendoza sporting the higher KO percentage. But in a battle of hurlers, the better catcher will win.
ALA Promotions CEO Michael Aldeguer said that this fight will determine if Bautista is ready for a rematch against Daniel Ponce de Leon or a world title shot.
IBF fight supervisor Ray Wheatley spoke about Bautista's chances for a title shot against Billy Dib next year. ?Bautista is in a good positon for a world title shot. He is ranked number 5 in the IBF. The top two positions are vacant and there are only two boxers ranked above him. He could fight for an eliminator next year.?
In the supporting main event another Mexican, Marcos ?Geraldito? Cardenas (12W-0L-1D, 9 KO's) will face another unbeaten prospect Genesis ?Asukal? Servania (15W-0L, 5 KO's) of Bacolod City. This will be Cardenas' first fight outside of Mexico. Servania had a one-sided unanimous decision win against his first foreign opponent, Gerson Guerrero, also from Mexico, last September.
?The knockout will happen,? Servania said, ?If the opportunity is there, then I'll go for it.?
L-R: IBF supervisor Ray Wheatley, Rey Bautista, Miguel Angel Mendoza and ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer pose during Thursday's press conference of Pinoy Pride X at the EGI Resort Hotel in Mactan, Cebu.
Genesis Servania (L) and Marcos Cardenas.
Rocky Fuents (L) and Lookdiaw Tor Buamas.
The boxers, officials and trainers for this Saturday's Pinoy Pride X.
Photos by Dong Secuya.
OPBF Flyweight champion Rocky Fuentes (29W-6L-2D, 17 KO's) of Cebu City will fight former WBC Silver lt.flywieght champion Lookdiaw Tor Buamas of Thailand in an eight round non-title bout. Fuentes is ranked by the major boxing organizations and is also nearing a shot. Bumas bared that his real record is 22W-4 l, 8 KO's, not just the nine bouts recorded in boxrec.
?Rocky needs to be in a good position for a shot at the world title and become a mandatory challenger,? Aldeguer said, ?He needs to keep busy and learn from his mistakes.?
In a fight that could steal the show from the main event, Philippine lt.welterweight champion Romeo Jakosalem will face South Korean lt.welterweight champion Pan Soo Kim (11W-2L-1D, 7 KO's) for the vacant OPBF Light welterweight crown. Jakosalem (15W-4L-1D, 8 KO's) has had a terrific year, beating ertshwhile undefeated Canadian prospect Steve Claggett (TKO 8) and winning the Philippine title against Eusebio Baluarte (TKO 1). A rematch against Claggett is a possibility next year.
There are five more bouts scheduled : Roma Rate vs Randy Gomez (6 rounds), Mark Acub vs Ryan Maano (6 rounds), Mark Vincent Bernaldez vs Ruben Baldoz (4 rounds), Ralph Lulu vs Rodel Wenceslao (6 rounds) and Arjan Canillas vs Johnjier Torbiso (4 rounds).
Official weigh-in of the boxers will be at the Pacific Mall in Mandaue City Friday 11 AM.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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