By Ronnie Nathanielsz
The Philippines newest ring sensation, WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight champion Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista checked out of the Cebu Doctors Hospital and went home to his family in Candijay, Bohol for a two-week rest after being downed by a virus that forced him to pull out of this Sunday's fight on the Manny Pacquiao-Oscar Larios fight card at the Araneta Coliseum.
Bautista's mother who visited him in Cebu left ahead to prepare their home for the deeply disappointed 20 year old who had wanted so much to give Filipino fight fans in Manila and a worldwide pay-per-view television audience a display of his undoubted talent.
Bautista tried desperately to fight off the fever and weakness to make it for the clash with veteran Alejandro Felix Montiel but doctor Gary Rivera, one of the top men in the medical profession in Cebu told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today Bautista was too weak to fight and he didn't want his health or his career to be jeopardized by fighting.
Bautista was visibly disappointed and depressed but was comforted by his respected manager Tony Aldeguer and friends in boxing who told Bautista he had so many opportunities ahead of him. The undefeated Bautista who is ranked No.1 in the world by the WBO has been asked by Aldeguer not to even jog for one week and to rest in his parents home for another week.
Bautista was somehow pleased that stablemate, Philippine bantamweight champion Michael Domingo would replace him on the card and was even happier that Domingo dedicated the fight to him. The soft-spoken Domingo who is in top shape since he was training for a July15 title defense welcomed the opportunity to fight on the Pacquiao-Larios card and said he had to win because Aldeguer had threatened to withhold his purse if he didn't beat Montiel.
