By Ronnie Nathanielsz
A dejected young man, 22 year old Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista is the way home from Las Vegas where he lost an eight round decision to hardened Heriberto “Cuate” Ruiz on the undercard of the Ricky “Hitman” Hatton IBO and Ring Magazine light welterweight title fight against Paul Malignaggi at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
WBC founding secretary general Rudy Salud himself was pained by the loss as was Bautista’s patron, Tony Aldeguer of the ALA Gym and his son Michael who has assumed the tough task of handling the fighters.
Salud said “the moment I saw Boom Boom I was worried. He looked like a kid compared to the strongly built and mature-looking Ruiz. It seems to me that Bautista’s physical structure is still that of a boy and he will probably need another two years to mature physically. ”
In a message to Aldeguer, the eminent lawyer Salud said “the cut hampered him. He will toughen more within a year or two. I am confident because of his heart.”
Despite bleeding profusely from a cut on his forehead caused by an accidental head-butt and cuts on his right eye and left and being dropped in the third round, Bautista tried gallantly to turn the fight around but failed even as he complained that his head which sported a huge lump caused by another clash of heads ached.
Aldeguer, showing his class, sent out a text message which read: “Sorry to disappoint you and the Filipino people for our failure to win against Ruiz. Boom Boom tried his best and never gave up but his effort proved in . Thank you for your support and kind understanding which help ease our pain.”
Bautista did have his moments in the fight despite the handicap of wiping the blood from his eye and fighting, as he himself said, seeing through one eye which made him vulnerable to the left of Ruiz who kept targeting the cut.
As Victor Perea of Fight News reported the two fighters heads clashed “countless times during the bout” which obviously hurt Bautista. He said Bautista continued to come forward and Ruiz moved cautiously even though he was the aggressor “but with respect for Bautista’s power.” reAs Bautista continued to come forward and lower his head naturally not purposely, Ruiz called out the clash of heads. Ruiz still moved cautiously at this point, fighting as the aggressor but with respect for Bautista’s power.
A hard left hook dug into Ruiz’s body saw him wince and claim a low blow which Perea said “it was clearly not” even as Bautista “powered Ruiz onto the ropes and began to tag him both up and downstairs, in what was the best round for an almost frantic Bautista.”
