Ronnie Nathanielsz
World Boxing Organization Asia Pacific bantamweight champion Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista who makes his U.S debut when he battles Thailand’s Aree Phosuwangym in Honolulu’s famed Blaisdell Center on March 11 prior to flying to Los Angeles to spar with some touted Mexican and American fighters at the Wild Card Gym of Freddie Roach has “impressed media during his training” according to his manager, well known Cebu boxing
patron Tony Aldeguer.
Aldeguer informed Manila Standard Today that the weigh was scheduled to take place today and that Bautista would have no problems making the 118 pound limit. while the press-public preview was scheduled to be held at the Kalakawa Gym yesterday.
Bautista who is being widely touted as the next Manny Pacquiao and one of the country’s “Champions of the Future,” along with stablemate Z “The Dream” Gorres who is ranked No. 4 bantamweight in the latest WBO rankings ahead even of Bautista who is rated No. 6 and undefeated Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation minimum weight champion Rodel Mayol who is No. 2 in the WBC rankings.
The 18 year old Bautista who is undefeated in 14 fights with 10 knockouts is heavily favored to stop the rugged Thai who has a ring record of 8—2-1 in their ten-round main event in a blockbuster fight card staged by Fil-Am promoter Richard Villaver which will also feature heavyweights from the US mainland.
Bautista won the vacant WBO crown with a sensational first round KO over Thailand’s Saensak Singmanassak who in turn defeated Phosuwangym. Bautista is expected to watch the Pacquiao-Erik Morales showdown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena to cheer for his countrymen including Gorres who is slated to fight Russian Dimitri Kirilov who ranked No. 7 while Gorres has moved up to No. 10.
International promoter Murad Muhammad who is promoting the Pacquiao-Morales classic along with Bob Arum of Top Rank is also expected to arrange for Bautista to fight in the US as he did for Pacquiao through the years as well as Gorres who makes his debut in a huge fight card on March 19. Gorres is currently training at former two-division world champion Buddy McGirt’s Gym in Orlando, Florida along with former WBC super flyweight champion Gerry Penalosa. The two have had to spar with each other after a black sparring partner got beaten up by the Filipinos in training and never returned.
