By Ronnie Nathanielsz
ALA boys Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista and Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation super flyweight champion Z “The Dream” Gorres have both been rated no. 1 in the latest rankings of the World Boxing Organization, making them eligible for title shots against champions Ponce de Leon (29-1, 27 KOs) and Fernando Montiel (32-2-1, 24 KOs) in the future.
Despite being forced to skip his last two fights because of a virus infection and then a fracture in his collarbone, the undefeated Bautista, who relinquished his WBO Asia-Pacific bantamweight title and informed the WBO he was moving up to the 122-pound super bantamweight division, was ranked no. 1. The rating was apparently based on Bautista’s last two smashing wins in the United States and his unbeaten record of 20-0 with 15 knockouts.
Gorres (24-1-1, 12 KOs) has also kept a clean slate in the US and appears ready for a title shot at Montiel, which Golden Boy Promotions are targeting for later this year. Both Bautista and Gorres are handled by the promotional outfit of the great Oscar de la Hoya.
Respected Cebu boxing patron Tony Aldeguer, who chartered the careers of Bautista and Gorres with care and concern, told Viva Sports/Standard Today in a long distance telephone conversation, that Bautista was “doing very well and has been jogging and shadowboxing the past week.”
Aldeguer said there was no more pain and Bautista was in good spirits and had passed through the crisis that saw him depressed over having to pull out of his last two fights.
Aldeguer, who visited Bohol to check on Bautista’s condition, expressed confidence that the emerging ring sensation would be ready to step up training later this month.
