PROMISING boxer Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista has suffered enough trials to threaten his young boxing career.
At 23, he has suffered two devastating losses and a career-threatening wrist injury. However, after enduring those setbacks, Bautista is not ready to call it quits just yet, as he plans to return to his former dominating self in his comeback fight on Oct.16 at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu City.
He is set to fight Indonesian Maragin Marbun for the interim World Boxing Council International featherweight title.
“I’m confident that I’ll be back. I have waited for so long to fight once again. I know I still have a long way to go but I’ll try hard,” said Bautista in his visit to Sun.Star Cebu yesterday, along with fellow ALA fighters Czar Amonsot and Jason Pagara, and ALA Promotions vice president Dennis Ca?ete.
Bautisa has been on a yearlong layoff due to an injury to his left wrist that needed surgery and hasn’t stepped foot in the ring since his unanimous decision loss to former world title challenger Heriberto Ruiz last Nov. 11.
Following physical therapy rehabilitation on his left wrist at the Perpetual Succour Hospital, Bautista has been working rigidly to bring back his game.
“First, I hesitated to punch when I started sparring but then I got used to it and my power was back,” Bautista said.
A lot of Bautista’s followers have lost their faith in him; thus, the hard-hitting fighter nicknamed “Boom-Boom” wants to win back their hearts by giving them a good show.
“I want them to lose their trust in me so that when I come back they will be shocked. I like to be criticized because it gives me additional encouragement. I want to show them that I’m still here and I will be here for a long time,” said the determined Bautista. “I’ll try my best to win and give a good showing,” he added.
Bautista was condemned by a lot of boxing fans after he suffered his first loss, a first round technical knockout in the hands of Daniel Ponce Deleon in their World Boxing Organization super bantamweight war in 2007 in California.
