IT WILL be a night of champions on Aug. 30 as ALA Gym?s elite fighters, World Boxing Organization Intercontinental champion Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista and WBO mini flyweight king Donnie ?Ahas? Nietes, defend their crowns at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino.
Bautista (25-1, 18 KOs) will be confronted by Mexican challenger Eden Marquez (16-3-3, 12 KOs), while Nietes (22-1-3, 13 KOs) will have his first title defense against WBO no.9 contender Eddy Castro (12-3-1, 9 KOs) of Nicaragua.
Bautista, who witnessed his fellow ALA comrade AJ ?Bazooka? Banal run out of gas and succumbed to Panamanian brawler Rafael ?El Torito? Concepcion, believes that he will not suffer the same fate because he has been training hard and is conditioned to last the whole fight.
?I can go until 12 rounds. We have been training in the gym to last up to 12 rounds,? the 22-year-old Boholano said in a press conference yesterday at the Lai Garden Tea House to formally announce the ?Night of Champions? fight card.
Bautista who suffered his first loss to Daniel Ponce de Leon in a devastating first round TKO last year feels that it wont happen to him again and is confident that he will emerge victorious in this fight.
Defensive plan
?Just watch what I?ll do in the ring,? Bautista said confidently when he was asked of his defensive plan for his opponent.
A lot is in store for Bautista if he wins convincingly against Marquez he will be given another opportunity to be back in the limelight.
?We will asses Boom Boom?s performance after this fight and if he does well we will plan to let him fight in the US,? said ALA Promotions President Michael Aldeguer.
Meanwhile, Nietes, the only world champion of the ALA Gym at present, will do everything in his will not to lose his coveted title against a top rated contender like Castro.
?I will never give up my belt. I will defend it with everything I?ve got,? said Nietes.
Nietes hasn?t fought for almost a year after he defeated Pornsawan Kratingdaenggym last year for the world title because of hitches in his previous scheduled fights.
This is a voluntary title defense for Nietes. He will be in a mandatory title defense after 120 days against No.1 contender Daniel Reyes if he will be successful against Castro.
Also slated to fight are the young ALA phenom Jason Pagara who will be up against Kongdej Sithtrajtrakan of Thailand; Jomanz Omanz who will be trading leathers with Roger Galica; Weng Haya who will be fighting Johnny Lear; Rey Las Pinas who will be in a skirmish with Gideon Amba; Jerson Mancio who will be confronted by Mario Suson; and JV ?The Fighting Doc? Tuazon toe against Albert Villacampa.
Tickets will be available on Aug 14 and will be sold at the following Ticket outlets: ALA Promotions Office (346-3489), ALA Gym BTC (416-2011), ALA Gym Mactan (340-9470), Island Souvenirs Ayala (231-2581), Bisaya Ispisyal Ayala (231-2676), USA Sports Ayala, (232-1854), Marfori Bakeshop (345-1104) and Waterfront Lahug (232-6888).
