By Ronnie Nathanielsz
 
Tagbilaran City - WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight champion Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista yesterday decked sparring partner Cris Alag midway in the second round of a two round sparring sesssion in a well-attended press-public preview at the Islands City Mall, indicating he was ready to face the challenge of Tanzanian KO artist Obote "Thunder" Ameme.
 
Alag who is a lightweight didn't use his size advantage and allowed Bautista to put on a show as hundreds of fans cheered the "Pride of Bohol" egging him on to knockdown the bigger Alag. Suddenly, Bautista exploded with a stunning right straight that dropped Alag on the seat of his pants to the delight of the crowd, many of whom had filled the area hours before the preview. It was the same punch that enabled Bautista to score a sensational third round KO over Colombian veteran Felix Flores Murillo last September 11 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
 
Bautista and trainer Edito "Ala" Villamor said the champion was in great shape and looking forward to defending his title before his provincemates who consider the event, staged by the indefatigable sportsman, Mayor Dan Neri Lim with the wholehearted support of Governor Erico Aumentado as the biggest boxing event in the history of Bohol and one that may well rival the glamor and glitter of bigtime boxing in Las Vegas.
 
Ameme, nicknamed "Thunder" merely shadow-boxed and worked the punch-mitts with trainer Emmanuel who told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today " my arms are aching because of the power of Obote. He really hits hard. You will see and Bautista will feel it on Saturday."
 
However, the consensus among the fans in this beautiful tourist destination was that the shorter Tanzanian who checked his weight yesterday and came in unofficially at 117 pounds was too slow and too short for Bautista whose hand speed and punching power may prove far too much for the East African warrior.
 
The fight that may well steal the thunder from the main event is the WBO Asia Pacific junior lightweight championship bout between undefeated champion Victor Mausul and the Philippines No. 1 ranked Czar Amonsot, a hometown boy.
 
Stunningly attractive Viva Hot Babes Gwen Garci and Zarah Lopez will plane in tomorrow morning in time for the weigh-in at 1:00 p.m. The blockbuster double championship will be telecast by Viva Sports on the top rated weekly boxing show "The Main Event" at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday over RPN 9 sponsored by Tanduay, the No. 1 Rhum and PLDT.
 
Mausul with 8 wins and 4 knockouts looked in great shape although he didn't spar in the preview. His manager Pido Bahari, a former amateur champion expressed confidence that it would be a great fight between two evenly matched and nicely-built fighters.