Las Vegas-Bound Banal is Fighter of the Month!
By Salven L. Lagumbay
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 27 Feb 2007
CEBU--Undefeated ALA Boy Alex John 'Bazooka' Banal, fresh from a scintillating performance last Saturday, has been picked by the Games and Amusements Board as its Boxer of the Month following his big wins against foreign oppositions.
Banal, unbeaten in 13 fights with 10 KO's, is next going to be seen on national television as he sees action underneath the biggest event in boxing history, the May 5 duel between Oscar De la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Last Saturday, Banal upped his already skyrocketing popularity when he stopped Thailand's Komrit Evereadygym in just a single round with a big left to the jaw, sending the message that the 18-year-old fighter is not just gifted with ring generalship, but also with two lethal fists.The win was Banal's seventh against a foreign opponent.
Eric Gomez, the youthful vice-president of Golden Boy Promotions and its international matchmaker, revealed to this writer the other day that Banal has just been approved by De la Hoya as an undercard to the Cinco De Mayo event, along with another ALA Boy, Rey 'Boom Boom' Bautista.
The De la Hoya-Mayweather clash is dubbed as 'The World Awaits,' and so far, only Bautista and Banal are the two sure names on the undercard.
International matchmaker Sampson 'Picasso' Lewkowicz, in an interview, said that Oscar De la Hoya reserves the right to choose who will be seeing action underneath his biggest battle, and so far, only two names have been approved.
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