By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Promising 17 year old AJ Banal who scored a smashing fifth round knockout over undefeated Indonesian super flyweight champion Ali Rochmad in an explosive performance in Tagbilaran City last Saturday will leave for Los Angeles with WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight champion Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista to train at the Wild Card Gym of Freddie Roach.
Respected boxing patron Tony Aldeguer said he is sending Banal to the US to help him absorb the big fight atmosphere in boxing in America and will have him carry the Philippine flag when Bautista enters the ring on the undercard of the WBC super featherweight rematch between champion Marco Antonio Barrera and dangerous Rocky Juarez.
Aldeguer said he wanted Banal to not only enjoy the benefits of training at Roach's Wild Card Gym but also a chance to get used to the environment of big-time boxing in Las Vegas when Bautista fights a still unnamed Mexican opponent so Banal wont be awed when he fights in the U.S.
Banal's smashing KO victory over the talented and hard- hitting Rochmad who suffered his first defeat after 12 wins with 9 knockouts improved the young southpaw's record to 8-0-1 with 7 KO's and indicated he was on the fringes of moving up into the same elite category of stablemates Bautista, OPBF super flyweight champion Z "The Dream" Gorres and WBO Asia Pacific super featherweight champion Czar Amonsot. However, Aldeguer said there are no plans at present to have Banal fight in the U.S because he doesn't want to rush the teenaged sensation.
Bautista put on a rousing display in a scheduled three round exhibition against veteran Edwin Gastador showing he had recovered fully from a recent virus infection. Bautista nailed Gastador with a series of vicious combinations and eventually dropped the veteran with a thunderous left to the mid-section that rendered Gastador unable to
continue midway in the second round.
