By Ronnie Nathanielsz
WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight champion Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista kept his promise to avenge the bitter loss of Manny Pacquiao to legendary Mexican Erik "El Terrible"Morales last March 19 by scoring an impressive sixth round TKO victory over Mexican hitman Gilberto Bolanos before a wildly cheering crowd at the Mandaue City Sports Complex, Saturday night.
The undefeated Bautista who is ranked No. 3 by the World Boxing Organization dropped Bolanos in the third round with a vicious uppercut and a glancing right to the side of the head had the Mexican in trouble on several occasions with solid body shots.
Bolanos stood toe to toe with Bautista during several furious exchanges and lived up to his reputation as a fighter with ten knockouts in ten wins. Bolanos proved to be a worthy opponent for the 18 year old Filipino who is considered a champion of the future. Bautista staggered Bolanos in the fourth round and opened up a cut below his left eye with a wicked right. He continued to pound the Mexican who sat on his stool and failed to come out for the sixth round on the advice of his trainer Roberto Bandanegro. With the win Bautista, improved to 16-0 with 12 knockouts while Bolanos dropped to 10-9-1 with 10 KO's.
Both fighters sized each other up in the opening round before, Bautista turned on the heat in the second round and kept the pressure on Bolanos until the abbreviated ending. Boxing analyst Moy Lainez who was at special ringside with Rod Nazario, Kito Mondejar and Gerry Garcia of the original Team Pacquiao, said it was a "good fight and a quality bout."
A large number of foreigners who planed in from Hong Kong, Australia and Japan to watch the charismatic and popular Bautista in perhaps the biggest test of his young career against the first Mexican to fight in Cebu. The local and foreign fans gave the Filipino as well as his opponent a standing ovation when it was over. The fight card titled "El Gran Combate- A Time For Revenge" drew the biggest crowd in years.
Spicing up the main event and drawing races from boxing fans were Viva Hot Babes Zarah Lopez and Myles Hernandez who acted as round girls for the fights telecast by Viva Sports over RPN 9 at 1 p.m. yesterday sponsored by Tanduay, the No. 1 Rhum, PLDT , Smart, Talk N' Text and Motolite. Rising Viva Star Jennifer Bautista received a warm round of applause for her beautiful rendition of the Philippine National Anthem.
Promoter Sammy Gello-ani told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that Bolanos "needed six stitches to mend the deep cut." The soft spoken Mexican said he was :touched by the warm reception and the kindness shown by Filipinos" and would take back fond memories of the country. Bolanos embraced and praised Bautista as a "really good champion with a strong punch."
