MANILA, Philippines — Rolando Hiso, former member of the national cycling team, has left his snow-bound backyard in Chicago and was scheduled to arrive in Manila Sunday night.
He’s heading straight for hot, summery Cebu.
No, the burly sportsman was not merely escaping terrible sub-zero conditions in Chicago.
In a pre-departure text message, Hiso bared he’s driving to Sutukil, the famous seafood eden Erap Estrada had helped popularize, straight from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
It will be a seafood fiesta first for the homesick balikbayan before anything else.
* * *
But before this report strays all the way to the silky, unspoiled Panglao Beach off Tagbilaran City in Bohol province, an hour and half by ferry boat from Cebu City, Hiso’s main mission must be bared.
He’s here to be at ringside for the Moment of Truth card in Cebu on Saturday, Feb. 24.
Hiso was in Manila last July for the Manny Pacquiao-Oscar Larios bout at the Araneta Coliseum.
He had seen practically all Pacquiao fights live in Las Vegas, including the Grand Finale showdown wherein the Pacman blasted out the legendary Erik Morales at the Thomas & Mack Center last November.
After witnessing Pacquiao at his devastating best, Hiso flew home from Vegas, stayed put for a week, before next flying to Florida.
There, in Tampa, he witnessed the unbeaten Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista score an easy knockout.
* * *
Hiso is here on a private mission.
He wanted to see for himself the real Boom Boom Bautista, touted as the next Manny Pacquiao.
Yes, he witnessed the unbeaten Bautista feast on yet another foe in Tampa in early December.
Hiso got both excited and intrigued.
But, just like with the ever-growing number of Boom Boom fans, he continued to wonder how truly great this dusky Boholano bomber is.
No, Hiso would not buy the initial suggestion that Boom Boom was being coddled and spoon-fed with patsies in most of his early bouts.
However, his appetite for burning ring action got aptly whetted by feeds that Feider Viloria, the Colombian whom Bautista would be fighting on Saturday, is a real deal.
* * *
That info, about Boom Boom’s next foe being truly tough, emanated from the camp of respected Cebu sportsman Antonio A. Aldeguer.
Needless to say, with Aldeguer himself taking pains to get a worthy foe for the unbeaten Bautista, Saturday’s championship card, where Z Gorres goes for the World Boxing Organization super flyweight crown of Mexican Fernando Montiel, is a must-see.
The set of golden numbers Bautista and Viloria carry in their gloves are both enviable.
Bautista, 20, is 21-0, with 16 KOs.
Viloria, 23, is 19-1-1 with 13 KOs.
In a way, the twin main events should also help determine whether there’s boxing in the Philippines outside of a Pacquiao bout.
* * *
Now, this is not to say Boom Boom, who also rose from bitter poverty, has already grown in worth to properly rival Pacquiao in popularity and relevance.
No, sir. The truth is that, there are many boxing devotees who have started asking if Bautista, given the luck and breaks to back his power and talent, would not turn out to be an even better gentleman champion than Pacquiao.
Who knows? With his principles and values, not to mention the guidance of his main patron and handler, Tony Aldeguer, Bautista may not be caught straying into the messy field of Philippine politics.
Let’s pray Boom Boom stays true to his calling and, God willing, one day help reform our system of government — instead of jumping in and encouraging the rotten political system here.
Of course, it will take a true people’s champ to do that.
