ALA OK's 'WORLD CUP' IN CEBU!
By Salven L. Lagumbay
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 09 Dec 2006
The country's boxing capital will host next year's biggest boxing spectacle.
This after Cebu sportsman Antonio L. Aldeguer, who heads the ALA Boxing Gym, yesterday indicated that his group has already decided to bring to Cebu the much-awaited 'World Cup' of boxing set to take place on February 25, 2007.
"We are hereby expressing our keen interest to hold the event on February 25. We will be ready," said Aldeguer in an interview yesterday.
Rey Bautista (center) returns the Philippine flag to Rolando Hiso (left) who came all the way from Chicago to show his support for Boom Boom. Also in photo are trainer Edito Villamor (right) and Eric Gomez (2nd from right) of GBP. Photo by Dong Secuya.
ON TO THE WORLD CUP. Rey Bautista's recent victory against Giovanni Andrade in Tampa made the World Cup possible. Posing with Bautista in Tampa are from left, trainer Edito Villamor, SGG promoter Sammy Gello-ani, WBO Vice-President for Asia-Pacific Leon Panoncillo, Golden Boy Promotions Vice-President Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz and Sun.Star Cebu's Homer Sayson. Photo by Dong Secuya.
The decision was finalized after Aldeguer had met with his son Michael--who manages his fighters' affairs in the US--as well as chief lieutenant Sammy Gello-ani (SGG) and ALA chief trainer Edito Villamor.
The event, according to Aldeguer, will be headlined by three world championship bouts featuring Mexican world champions against Filipino challengers.
"We are confident of getting the assistance of Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia as well as City Mayors Tom Osmena and Thadeo Ouano," said Aldeguer, who pointed out that the venue being discussed for the card are the newly-built Cebu International Convention Center or any of the big hotels in the city.
Aldeguer's ALA Boxing Gym and SGG Sports Promotion of Sammy Gello-ani have inked up a deal this year with Oscar De la Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions for the latter to promote such talents as Rey 'Boom Boom' Bautista and Z 'The Dream' Gorres.
The 'World Cup' card will be headlined by Bautista challenging WBO superbantamweight champ Daniel Ponce De Leon.
Also co-headlining are Gorres and Gerry Penalosa, who will both challenge WBO superfly champ Fernando Montiel and WBO bantam champ Jhonny Gonzalez, respectively, in a mammoth trifecta that is expected to land on HBO pay-per-view or HBO Championship Boxing.
Aldeguer, however, indicated that although his group is agreeable to the February 25 playdate, they would also not look past the possibility of holding it to a later date.
Aldeguer also hinted that they have yet to get the final approval of Golden Boy Promotions who owns the promotional rights of all fighters seeing action in the card.
Also, another factor being considered is whether the three WBO champions would be willing to face the Filipino fighters in Cebu, although Montiel had earlier announced he is ready to travel to the Philippines to fulfill his mandatory obligations against Gorres.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Salven L. Lagumbay.
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