TAGBILARAN CITY – The CPG Sports Complex will be painted red when local heroes Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista and Czar Amonsot fight for international boxing titles today.
Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan Neri Lim has asked the Boholanos who will watch the card to wear red as a sign of support to the local boys who will slug it out in the event dubbed “Bakbakan sa Tagbilaran.”
At the weigh-in and press conference, which was attended by what was probably the entire media force of Bohol, Obote Ameme, who will challenge Bautista’s WBO Asia-Pacific bantamweight title, unleashed some verbal jabs.
KO in 2
After earlier predicting that he will knock out Bautista in less than five rounds, the challenger from Tanzania, east Africa, changed his mind; Ameme said he’ll finish off Bautista in just two rounds, which drew a wide grin from Bautista.
“I am fighting here in Bohol, my homeland, and I am not going to frustrate my paisanos. If he wants to end it in two, he needs to load his punches with granites because he can never do it. That I assure you,” Bautista said during the press conference.
Weight
Bautista tipped the scales at 117 pounds, while Ameme, who first weighed in at 119lb, made the 118lb limit 30 minutes after his first try.
Indonesian WBO Asia Pacific junior lightweight champion Victor Mausol weighed in at 128lb, while his challenger, Amonsot, checked in at 129lb.
It will be a festive mood during the card, which has a budget of almost P3 million, with a 10-minute fireworks display, an array of singers that include the Loboc Children’s Choir, former Platter member Bobby Soul and “Search for A Star in A Million” grand champion Jerome Sala, who will sing the Philippine National Anthem.
