ALA BOXERS VOW TO FIGHT WITH THE SAME COURAGE SHOWN BY GILAS PILIPINAS
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 05 Sep 2014
Dubai - September 4, 2014
The three boxers from the famed ALA Gym seeing action in the "Duel in Dubai" at the World Trade Center have vowed to fight with the same courage as the Gilas Pilipinas basketball team that beat favored Senegal in their final FIBA World Cup game on Thursday night in Spain.
Inspired by the performance of Gilas Pilipinas against some of the top teams in the world which included heartbreaking losses to FIBA world No. 3 Argentina and world No. 5 Greece as well as European powerhouse Croatia, Genesis "Azukal" Servania, King Arthur Villanueva and Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista said they are ready to wage war in the ring against three worthy opponents and win like Gilas did.
All three Filipino fighters don't expect to have to go into extra time to win as Gilas Pilipinas did in their glorious victory over Senegal and believe their three months of hard training will bear fruit in the ring and they will win in explosive fashion before a sell-out crowd made up mainly of Filipinos working in th UAE.
WBO Intercontinental super bantamweight champion Genesis "Azukal" Servania told a well-attended press conference at Rocky's Retraurant and Bar here in Dubai that he is determined to put on an impressive performance that could lead to a world title shot next year, and said he is "very positive" about the outcome of his bout against Mexico's Jose "Matador" Cabrera who conceded that while Servania "is good and is fast, I have the experience to beat him" having had world title fights against champions Omar Andres Narvaez nd Tomas Rojas. Cabrera added, "I came here to win."
The Mexican who has a record of 22-4-2 with 10 knockouts tipped the scales at exactly 122 pounds while Servania, undefeated with a record of 24-0 with 10 knockouts came in at 121.4 pounds.
Popular junior lightweight Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista who is on the comeback trail told Dyan Castillejo of ABS-CBN he wants to prove his father who ridiculed him and said he was nothing after he lost split decision to Jose Ramirez, dead wrong.
While "Boom Boom" praised his opponent Julian Jose "Piquet" Martinez "who fights like a true Mexican warrior and I respect him but on Friday night th respect won't be there."
Martinez who has an awesome record of 15 knockouts in 19 wins with only one loss promised the fans an exciting, action-packed bout and plans to return home a winner.
Martinez had to shed off 1.6 pounds but made the weight with no trouble in the blazing heat of Dubai while Bautista weighed 129.4 pounds.
Unbeaten super flyweight King Arthur Villanueva who who weighed in ast 114.6 pounds faces Nicaragua's Henry "El Crespo"Maldonado who was over the limit by 8 ounces but insisted his body couldn't shed off the excess weight but when informed that he wouldn't capture the title even if he won the fight Maldonado ran around the block twice in the sweltering heat and made th weight.
The Nicaraguan who has a record of 18-3 with 13 knockouts insisted he is ready to win and take the belt back to Nicaragua but Villanueva replied he is determined to retain his title and move on to a world title fight since he is currently ranked No. 3 by the WBO, No.4 bythe IBF, No. 7 by the WBA and No. 14 by the WBC.
Photo (L-R): Arthur Villanueva, Rey Bautista and Genesis Servania during Thursday's press conference in Dubai.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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