THE nation’s capital is going gaga over Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista.
Though his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from the US was not as frenzied compared to that of Manny Pacquiao’s, Bautista still drew a lot of supporters yesterday.
“Compared to his (arrival) when he won over Giovanni Andrade (in December last year), the crowd that gathered around him grew three times.
The crowd milled around him, sought his autograph, posed for a picture and greeted him for a job well done,” ALA Gym trainer Edito Villamor told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday.
And the newest boxing sensation AJ “Bazooka” Banal also got his share of the limelight despite the fact that his fight was not aired on TV.
“AJ also got supporters. Many people also congratulated him because they were aware that he also won his fight,” added Villamor.
Bautista scored a unanimous decision win over the erstwhile undefeated Sergio Manuel Medina of Argentina in an eliminator fight for the WBO super bantamweight, while Banal also won by unanimous decision over a tough Jose Alberto Rosas in the undercard of the Oscar de la Hoya and Floyd “Pretty Boy” Mayweather Jr. fight.
From the airport, Bautista and Banal proceeded to the ABS-CBN Studio, where they were interviewed by Julius Babao and Christine Bersola in the Magandang Umaga Pilipinas program. Then, they went to the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila, where Manila City Mayor Lito Atienza greeted them together with a largely Visayan crowd.
They were also interviewed by GMA-7, where they had breakfast, and by Solar Sports before they went to the Manila City Hall.
At noon, Bautista and Banal were guests at the popular noon time show, Wowowee.
They also had radio guestings, and went live at NBN-4.
Last night, the two ALA Boys graced an SGG Boxing promotion in Quezon City.
Today, the pair is scheduled to arrive at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport at 8:30 a.m, where a large boxing crowd is expected to meet them.
“It was a very busy day but it was worth it for the two boxers. And guess who was with us on the same flight from Los Angeles—Bob Arum,” said Villamor.
Arum is in the Philippines to help Pacquiao in his congressional bid in General Santos City.
