By Ronnie Nathanielsz
WBO No.1 ranked Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and WBO super flyweight mandatory challenger Z "The Dream" Gorres are scheduled to leave for the U.S by mid-January to step up training for their scheduled world title fights on February 25 in a planned Philippines-Mexico World Cup.
Respected boxing patron Tony Aldeguer said that another promising youngster from his famed ALA Gym, AJ Banal will also join the two top fighters in training at the Wild Card gym of Freddie Roach in Los Angeles.
Golden Boy Promotions is exploring the possibility of staging the RP-Mexico World Cup which would also include former world super flyweight champion Gerry Penalosa in a bantamweight title fight. If it pushes through in the Phillipines, Aldeguer indicated the newly-built International Convention Center in Mandaue is being considered as a possible site along with the Araneta Coliseum which is regarded as the "Mecca" of Philippine sports and entertainment.
In the scheduled February 25 card Bautista will battle WBO super bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce De Leon, Gorres will clash with WBO super flyweight champion Fernando Montiel and Penalosa will take on bantamweight champion Jhonny Gonzales who all belong, just like the three Filipinos, to the growing stable of Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.
