By Ronnie Nathanielsz
 
A number of big name fighters including world rated light flyweight Bert Batawang will be featured on the undercard of the eagerly awaited showdown between WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight champion Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista and Mexican knockout artist Gilberto Bolanos at the Mandaue City Sports Center, Philippines, on June 11.
 
Batawang who is rated No. 7 by the WBA is the reigning Pan African champion having won the vacant title with a smashing seventh round knockout victory over South Africa’s Sithembele Kibiti before a stunned  hometown crowd on November 20, 2004. The talented southpaw then went on to score a seventh round TKO over Robert Rubillar last April 30 to take his record to 33-11-3 with 26 knockouts.
 
Well-known promoter Sammy Gello-ani announced that promising featherweight Cesar Amonsot, fresh from a highly successful stint in Indonesia will also be featured in one of the  blockbuster fights on the undercard. Amonsot, a colorful, hard-hitting southpaw
is coming off back-to-back wins against top Indonesian contenders. Amonsot scored an impressive fourth round TKO over Syamsul Hidayat last April 12 and then won a ten round, unanimous decision over fancied Leed Shabu.
 
Amonsot was earlier held to a controversial draw by undefeated Joey de Ricardo on March 22. The flashy southpaw regarded as one of the most promising young fighters from the ALA Gym of respected Cebu boxing patron Tony Aldeguer has a record of 9—1-1 with 7 knockouts.
 
The blockbuster supporting bouts are expected to add to the excitement of the main event when Bautista faces off with Bolanos in a fight that was earlier scheduled to take place at the Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas last April 8.
 
However, Bautista’s manager Tony Aldeguer decided to have Bautista train at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym where he sparred with the likes of IBF junior featherweight champion Israel Vasquez, rather than fight. There were nasty rumors that Aldeguer was scared of pitting his 18 year old protégé against the dangerous Bolanos.
 
Bautista however said he was not afraid and wanted the fight prompting Aldeguer  to work it out for Bolanos to come to the Philippines and thereby become the first Mexican to fight in Cebu. The fight card titled ‘EL GRAN COMBATE – A TIME FOR REVENGE’ will be telecast by Viva Sports on its top-rated weekly boxing show, the “Main Event” at 1:00 p.m. on June 12 over RPN 9 sponsored by Tanduay, the No.1 Rhum with the Viva Hot Babes who are models for Tanduay acting as round girls.