?BOOM BOOM? BAUTISTA FACES TOUGHEST OPPONENT IN ?DUEL IN DUBAI?
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 21 Aug 2014
Martinez (R).
Former world title challenger, 28 year old Ray ?Boom Boom? Bautista faces the toughest opponent in the ALA Promotions ?PInoy Pride XXVII? fight card at the International Trade Center in Dubai on September 5.
In the main event WBO Intercontinental super bantamweight champion Genesis ?Azukal? Servania (25-0,14 KO?s) defends his title against Mexico?s Jose ?Matador? Cabrera (22-4-2, 10 KO?s) while IBF International junior bantamweight champion King Arthur Villanueva faces Nicaragua?s Henry ?El Crespo? Maldonado (18-3, 13 KO?s).
ALA Promotions president Michael Alderguer told the Manila Standard/Viva Sports that by all accounts ?right now we are expecting a great fight? between Bautista who has a record of 35-3 with 25 knockouts and Juan Jose ?Piquet? Martinez of Mexico who has only one loss with 19 wins, 15 of them by knockout.
Bautista who is extremely popular in Dubai having fought there once befor, lost his WBO International featherweight title by a split decision to tough Jose Ramirez of Mexico on April 20, 2013 is on the comeback trail after winning has first fight on his return to the ring following a more than one tear layoff, winning a ten round unanimous decision over Sergio Villanueva last May 10.
Aldeguer said they are aware of the fighting qualities of Martinez but added that ?if we are to take ?Boom Boom? seriously we need to give him this level of competition.?
Martinez, in his last fight on March 29, won the vacant WBC Mundo Hispano super featherweight title in a classic, action-packed rematch by a twelve round unanimous decision over Carlos Jimenez.
A report on the fight in which Martinez won his first major title said Martinez was ?floored hard in the 1st round but bravely got back up, recovered and achieved payback sending Jimenez to the canvas in the 7th round.?
The dispatch said ?after having survived the knockdown Jimenez came back to have a great closing that brought the fans to their feet. In the 12th and final round it looked like Martnez could be knocked out but he thrillingly dug deep to exchange a hailstorm of punches and win the round.?
It concluded, ?at the end with the fans in a state of high drama and great excitement, Martinez was declared the winner with two judges scoring it for him 115-111 and a third judge scoring it a closer 114-113.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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