By Ronnie Nathanielsz
ABS-CBN, the giant Philippine broadcast network that will telecast the Manny Pacquiao-Oscar Larios fight in the US on pay-per-view in the US over Direct TV and On-Demand will feature the fights of WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight champion Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and former WBC super flyweight champion Gerry Penalosa.
The telecast to a worldwide audience from the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, July 2 will begin at 9:00 a.m. Manila Time with the main event between Filipino ring idol Pacquiao and former two-time WBC super bantamweight champion Larios set to air at 11:00 a.m.
The clash between the undefeated Bautista who has a record of 20-0 with 15 knockouts and Mexican veteran, 35 year old Alejandro Felix "Good Boy" Montiel who has a record of 51-7, 30 KO’s will be the main supporting bout while the Penalosa battle with another Mexican Tomas Rojas will open the international telecast.
Penalosa and Rojas are both southpaws with Penalosa sporting a record of 49-5-2 with 33 knockouts while Rojas has a record of 22-8 with 14 knockouts. Other prominent fighters on the undercard include former OPBF super featherweight champion Randy Suico who is now campaigning as a lightweight and super featherweight Jimrex Jaca.
Suico 24-2, 21 KO’s meets light welterweight Silverio Ortiz, 17-9 with 7 KO’s while Jaca 24-2-1, 12 KO’s takes on Adrian "Gallero" Valdez, a southpaw with a record of 17-5-3 with 9 KO’s .
ABS-CBN vice president for sports Peter Musngi said the fights will be telecast "live" on a pay-per-view basis in major cinemas beginning at 8:00 a.m. at a cost of P300 a ticket while the free TV will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Channel 2 on a delayed basis.
