By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Golden Boy Promotions vice president and international matchmaker Eric Gomez who was named at the just-concluded WBO Convention in Florida as the “Matchmaker of the Year” says Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista (26-1, 19 KO’s) is “ready to go” in his battle with tough Mexican FECOMBOX bantamweight champion Heriberto “Cuate” Ruiz (37-6-2, 22 KO’s) on Sunday, November 23, Manila Time.
The Bautista – Ruiz ten round bout is featured on the IBO light welterweight title fight between Paul Malignaggi and Britain ’s Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be telecast by the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN on its pre-eminent channel 2.
In an overseas telephone conversation with insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports, Gomez said “everything is good and Boom Boom is ready to go. He passed all his medical exams and he is ready. It looks good.”
Gomez said he was also “very excited” about the big fight ahead of Oriental bantamweight champion Michael Domingo who faces world-rated bantamweight Nestor Rocha (20-1, 7 KO’s) a day before the Bautista-Ruiz fight, at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California.
Gomez said Roach is a “highly-rated guy and it’s a very, very good fight for both fighters.” He said the 29 year old Domingo who sports a misleading record of 37-14-2 with 16 knockouts since he lost most of his fights before he moved to the ALA Gym has “a good opportunity to move closer to a world title fight so let’s see what happens.”
Domingo won the WBO Oriental crown with an impressive 9th round TKO over former world champion Ratanachai Sor Vorapin last September 14 and before that iced Indonesia’s tough Rivo Rengkung in the second round on July 26 at the Cebu Coliseum.
