By Ronnie Nathanielsz
World Boxing Organization Asia Pacific bantamweight champion Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista has impressed fight fans and fighters in Melbourne, Australia where he has been training at the Fighters Factory boxing gym owned by trainer and promoter Murray Thomson who invited Bautista to Australia after seeing a video of the teenage sensation in action.
Journalist Graeme Mackinnon who once played football for the San Miguel team in the 1980’s in Manila told Manila Standard that the gym “comes to a standstill when Bautista climbs into the ring. During his mitt sparring sessions with Thomson and trainer Edito Villamor, the other boxers in the gym stopped their workouts to admire the speed and grace of the Cebuano champion.” Respected international referee Bruce McTavish, a longtime Angeles City resident who is in Melbourne to officiate in a fight card tonight and watched Bautista work out said he believes the teenager could make his name internationally.
Bautista’s manager, respected Cebu boxing patron Tony Aldeguer told Viva Sports/Manila Standard in an overseas telephone conversation that Thomson invited Bautista to demonstrate his boxing skills at his cramped boxing headquarters in the Melbourne suburb of Blackburn. Mackinnon said Thomson was “very impressed with Bautista’s work ethic in the gym since he arrived.” He revealed that there are moves to bring Bautista back sometime early next year to make his Australian debut.
Mackinnon reported that the Australian trainer was “lavish in his praise of Bautista’s skills” and added that the 18 year old Filipino “could shoot for the stars if he continues to make the sacrifices elite athletes must make if they want to make it to the top.” Negotiations are underway between Thomson and Aldeguer for a three-fight package in Australia as a prelude to Bautista “trying his luck” in the US. Aldeguer believes that Bautista “could benefit greatly by fighting against the different styles of boxers” available as opponents in Australia.
