THE MOMENT Fernando Montiel and his party of five arrived in Cebu late yesterday morning, the Mexican immediately requested that he be brought to the well-equipped Antonio L. Aldeguer (ALA) boxing gym in an effort to dust off the effects of a backbreaking 16-hour flight from Los Angeles.
“He had a light workout at the ALA Gym,” revealed Cebu promoter Sammy ‘Penrex King’ Gello-ani, who met Team Montiel at Mactan International Airport.
“I guess, he wants to shake off the effects of jet lag that’s why he had a workout.”
After that, Gello-ani said Montiel was brought to the Rajah Park Hotel.
Montiel, the reigning World Boxing Organization super-flyweight king, is raring to get into the ring against Filipino challenger Z Gorres.
They are scheduled to lock horns on Saturday night at the Cebu Sports Complex with Gello-ani’s SGG Promotions and Aldeguer’s ALA Boxing Club hooking up with Oscar dela Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions in staging the card dubbed “The Moment of Truth.”
Gorres is the slight underdog, but his trainer, Edito ‘Ala’ Villamor, the two-time world title challenger, expressed high hopes that the homeowner will spoil the debut of Montiel.
“I have never seen Gorres display too much determination,” said Villamor, whose hands will be full in the absence of Freddie Roach.
“We have a big chance of winning.”
Meanwhile, Colombian Feider Viloria, who faces Rey ‘Boom Boom’ Bautista in the co-feature, will arrive on Tuesday after missing their flight in Bogota.
“They originally came from Baranquilla and they failed to catch a connecting flight,” said Gello-ani.
“But they’re in Curacao now and are ready to take the connecting flight to Amsterdam. From Amsterdam, they’ll go straight to Manila, then to Cebu.”
The final press conference will be held on Thursday noon at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug and the weighin will be held the next day.
