By Ronnie Nathanielsz
The superb showing of WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight champion Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista last Saturday night at the jampacked Mandaue City Sports Complex proved beyond any doubt that while Manny Pacquiao is still the most exciting fighter with incredible courage, there are many young and promising boxers who are destined to become “Champions of the Future.”
Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation minimum weight champion and world No. 1 Rodel Mayol who last Friday signed up with the fine Japanese businessman-sportsman Yasuo Matsuoka. Matsuoka and his charming Filipina wife have long demonstrated their genuine care and concern for Filipino boxers and a passionate love for boxing. Mayol’s signing up with the Matsuokas is certain to boost his chances of becoming a world champion especially in the face of attempts by a couple of other Japanese to use their influence to thwart Mayol’s world title shot.
However, the commitment made by WBC president Jose Sulaiman, a long-standing friend and his son Mauricio Sulaiman to stand one hundred percent behind Mayol’s rights are a reassuring commitment to a young, undefeated champion who must never be denied his due if the WBC is to maintain its integrity and reputation. Along with Bautista and Mayol there are other great prospects such as IBF No. 3 light flyweight Wyndel Janiola, OPBF super featherweight champion Randy Suico and highly-touted Z “The Dream” Gorres among others.
Bautista is perhaps the one fighter who comes closest to Pacquiao in terms of his aggressive attitude in the ring, his charismatic personality and his touch of flamboyance. He has also demonstrated awesome punching power although still not in the same level as Pacquiao whose devastating left straight is something to behold.
Perhaps the one thing that is most important in the case of Bautista at this stage at least is the fact that he is still a kid who after his battle with Mexican hitman Glberto Blanos rested his head on his father’s shoulder and appeared teary-eyed as his
father patted him. There was something touching in this gesture. It showed us the kind of affection and respect he has for his parents which is essential in the midst of growing success and the adulation of fans. It also demonstrated his priorities and sense of values.
Rather than strut around the ring savoring the accolades of the fans he first dutifully paid his respects to his parents who are, we gather, simple farm folk from Bicol where Bautista is now a hero. We can only fervently pray that Bautista, in the face of
success that is bound to come his way in the future, will remain the same young man he has been since he first laced a pair of gloves as an amateur and then turned pro some two years ago.
Much of the credit for the rise of Bautista must go to the respected boxing patron Tony Aldeguer whose famed ALA Gym provides a rare opportunity for kids and young men in their teens to learn the art of a sport which may well provide them with an opportunity to break away from the bondage of poverty and improve thequality of their lives. Not only does Aldeguer give them the chance to learn from dedicated trainers who cover various aspects of physical fitness and training, he instills in the young hopefuls the values and virtues of discipline, hard work, sportsmanship and decency which are, in this day and age, perhaps even more important.
We have watched how Aldeguer attends to his fighters with care and concern but we have also noticed what a strict disciplinarian he is which is how it must be done. The young men who step into an environment where fans tend to hail them as heroes need to be guided properly so that if and when they become championsthey are capable of handling the pressure and the trappings that come with winning. Above all, they will always remember those who cared for them when they were really nobody.
