met Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista for the first time almost two years ago in Cebu City at the press conference of his fight against Saengsak Singmanasak of Thailand. I was in Cebu for the PBA All-Star Games and it was the Monday after the basketball event.
Bautista was all of 17 years old then, but his manager-benefactor, the highly-respected Tony Aldeguer was oozing with enthusiasm about his young ward. So were boxing die-hards Hermie Rivera and Dennis Principe; who prevailed upon me to stay another day so I could take a look at the boy.
I remember the occasion very well because the presscon actually coincided with the weigh-in for the fight. And something happened then that struck me as rather odd.
After the fighters had made the weight, I noticed Aldeguer going to the buffet table and getting a couple of bowls of soup. Then he went to Bautista and fellow boxer Czar Amonsot and served his fighters the soup, reminding them to sip and eat slowly!
I mean, here’s this successful businessman who was supposed to be boxers’ boss, making like a waiter to his boys. And after years of observing people (I am a play-by-play and blow-byblow TV commentator, so that’s what I do-observe), I could tell Aldeguer was oblivious to the presence of people. This was something he did naturally because he wanted to do it. He certainly did not do it for publicity purposes, because he shuns publicity.
With this momentary glimpse of how Aldeguer treats his fighters, I was of two minds about it. While I thought it was an admirable gesture, I also felt he might be a little too nice to his boxers, which could lead to their getting spoiled.
I got enlightenment regarding that concern when I asked Aldeguer about a promising fighter who was no longer part of his stable. Asked what happened, he nonchalantly informed me “he violated curfew, so I told him not to come back. I cannot tolerate such lapses in discipline”. Well, so much for being spoiled
The following night, Boom-Boom made short work of his Thai opponent (KO, 2nd) and since then, I have followed the career of this gritty young man from that gem of an island in Central Visayas, Bohol. I personally watched him destroy Gilberto Bolanos in Mandaue last year (TKO, 6th), and his masterful 2round conquest of Obote Ameme before over 20,000 gleeful fans in Tagbilaran City last November. On TV, I saw his demolition of Felix Flores in 3 in the Filipino hat trick that also saw Manny Pacquiao and Brian Viloria winning against their respective foes in L.A.
I have spoken to Bautista a couple of times and he is engaging and obviously willing to learn. Aldeguer would prod him to answer every question with articulateness and candor and yes, at times in English. Obviously, his boss saw something in him and was preparing him for bigger things ahead.
With his high-profile victory at the Staples Center in Los Angeles last weekend in the undercard of the Barrera-Juarez fight, there are some who feel Boom-Boom has arrived and should now go for a world championship. You would think Aldeguer would welcome the suggestions.
Not so. Aldeguer feels Bautista still needs to be primed for such ambitious challenges. He has even declined offers from TV networks of a TV soap on Boom-Boom’s life. Aldeguer insists, “Let’s put everything in perspective. Boom-Boom is a great potential. But until he realizes that potential, let’s not jump the gun. His time will come soon enough”.
Meanwhile, BoomBoom’s team is sticking to their plans.
And Boom-Boom is fortunate to have such a formidable team plotting his career. Besides Aldeguer, he has the Oscar de la Hoya organization, topnotch trainers Freddie Roach and Edito Villamor, promoter Sammy GelloAni and personal adviser Mayor Dan Neri Lim of Tagbilaran City.
Bautista has proved himself against a veteran in Roberto Bonilla. He will go up against another grizzled warrior in Alejandro Montiel, who has held his own against world champions. If Boom-Boom can win impressively against Montiel, perhaps they will consider challenging WBO Super Bantamweight Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon.
Yes, Tony Aldeguer is always upbeat about Boom-Boom. But he advises prudence and discretion. Then he asks conspiratorially:” you’ve seen this young kid AJ Banal, right?” I’ve seen him (6–0; 5 KO’s, packs a mighty wallop). “So what do you think?” he asks.
I reply, “I think so” (wink, wink).
