'BOOM BOOM,' BANAL SET TO LEAVE FOR TRAINING WITH DE LA HOYA
By Salven L. Lagumbay
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 12 Mar 2007
CEBU CITY--Undefeated prospects Rey 'Boom Boom' Bautista and Alex John Banal, both of the ALA Boxing Gym, are set to fly to Puerto Rico to join trainer Freddie Roach and Oscar De la Hoya in their build-up for the historic May 5 event in Las Vegas dubbed 'The World Awaits.'
Bautista and Banal, accompanied by Filipino trainer Edito 'Ala' Villamor, will leave on March 26 for Los Angeles, California, stay one week, before flying out to Puerto Rico for their training.
"We will train for one week at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, and after that, we will join Coach Freddie and Oscar in Puerto Rico," said Villamor in an interview yesterday.
Both Bautista and Banal have been handpicked by no less than De la Hoya himself to see action on the undercard of his showdown with the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, a bout which has already broken live gate record in Las Vegas and poised to become the biggest pay-per-view event in the history of the sport.
The 20-year-old Bautista (22-0, 17 KO's) of Tagbilaran City will go up against another undefeated fighter, Argentinian Sergio Manuel Medina (28-0, 16 KO's) in a 12-round scrap which will serve as an eliminator for the WBO superbantam crown.
The 18-year-old Banal will also see action, although organizers have yet to finalize his opponent in the card.
Meanwhile, Bautista and Z 'The Dream' Gorres are scheduled to meet fans starting at 5:30PM today at the lobby of the Banilad Trade Center to sign autographs for fans, before proceeding to the Fight Club, Cebu's finest executive boxing gym.
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