BOHOLANO sensation Rey ?Boom-Boom? Bautista swears to regain his ring glory on Dec. 2 at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.
Bautista will fight Mexican WBC Fecombox 122-lb. champion Antonio Meza for 12 rounds in an event that will be promoted by SGG Sports Promotions.
Meza, from Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, sports a dangerous ring record of 23-2, 16 KOs. His recent TKO victory in three rounds over Romel Aguilar last June 29 gave him the WBC-affiliated regional belt.
?I am ready to regain my lost status,? Bautista said during the thanksgiving party thrown by the Cebu City Government for Manny Pacquiao at the Cebu Parklane Hotel Victoria Hall last Sunday night.
?Preparation wise I am on target. For sure, my defeat to (Daniel) Ponce De Leon, made me a better fighter,? said Bautista.
Record
Carrying a 23-1, 17 KOs ring record, the 21-year-old Bautista has been pondering on his mistakes that led him to his first-round fall in the hands of bull-strong De Leon.
The fight, which will be beamed in the US, will be Bautista?s test as he treads the status ladder.
From No.1, Bautista dropped to No. 8, and will need at least three fights to regain the lofty status.
?From now on, you will see a different Bautista, I really learned my lessons,? said the WBO Youth and International super bantamweight champion.
Fighting in the undercard is the fast-rising AJ ?Bazooka? Banal.
Coming from the heels of an overwhelming first-round knockout win over Mexican Esau Gaona last Sept. 30, Banal will face another Mexican?Jovanny Soto–who has more fights and better KO rate than Gaona.
Career
Soto, the WBC Fecombox and Mexican super flyweight champion, is holding a 22-7-1 win-loss-draw record and 20 of his wins are by knockouts.
In fact, in his last nine fights, he had seven straight knockout wins out of eight.
Banal, the WBO Youth super-flyweight champion, is currently ranked WBA No. 7, IBF No. 10 and WBO No. 8 contender, and carries a 15-0-1, 12 KOs record.
Also scheduled to see action is RP bantamweight champion Michael Domingo, who is also fresh from scoring a fifth round knockout over Roger Galicia last Saturday in Calape, Bohol.
