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Philippines, 21 May 2024 |
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WILL ?BOOM BOOM? EVER EXPLODE AGAIN? By Ed C. Tolentino PhilBoxing.com Tue, 14 Aug 2007  The guns of Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista may have been silenced with utter impunity by Mexican powerhitter Daniel Ponce de Leon, but to say that they will never fire again is both premature if not downright hogwash. At age 21, the future remains in front of Bautista -- staring at him and daring the young pugilist to respond to the challenge of picking up the pieces. As the soothsayers had foreseen, de Leon was too much for Bautista. The Filipino has not had that much seasoning when he jumped straight into the frying pan. Predictably, he got burned and ended up like Thanksgiving turkey. There are two ways to analyze the numbing setback. Fight fans can simply view the loss as the proverbial nail in the coffin or as a reality check that can only yield dividends down the road. Bautista should find solace on the latter view. History will show that great fighters have had their share of knockout defeats. Believe it or not, the great triple champion Henry Armstrong lost his first fight; ditto former heavyweight champion Mike Weaver. If these guys gave up their dreams that early, they would not have scaled greater heights. The key for Bautista is to admit that he erred. By coming into grip with this reality, he can move on. Admitting the mistake one committed is the first step to correcting it. Thereafter, the rebuilding must start. By now, Bautista is an open target -- what with the glaring deficiency he showed on defense. Epoxy had been suggested to tighten up his defense; but truth be told only an honest-too-goodness repair work can plug the gaping hole. A confidence-building fight against a subpar foe is needed to get Bautista back in the groove. The key is not to dwell on the loss; dwelling is like a termite that can only weaken further whatever solid foundation Bautista has left. Bautista showed flashes of what he can do. He did threaten De Leon with some sneaky right straights. The junior eatherweight class offers three other champions (IBF, WBA and WBC) and with proper scouting, Bautista can find a champ that is suitable for him. The IBF champion, Steve Molitor, is far from being as dangerous as de leon. That Bautista was spared from a prolonged beating should be treated as a blessing in disguise. No serious damage was sustained by the Filipino. But if he is to return to the winning podium and possibly something higher than that, Bautista must want it in him to become a champion. One thing about boxing, when the bell finally rings, it is the fighter alone who can chart the direction he intends to take in the ring. When Sugar Ray Leonard was getting beaten up by Thomas Hearns in their first meeting back in the 1980s, Angelo Dundee told Leonard bluntly: "You're blowin' it, son. You've got to want it bad" Leonard's eye was swollen shut, but his eardrum was fine and he got the message. He hunted Hearns and stopped him. You've got to want it bad, Boom Boom. You still hold the trigger. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed C. Tolentino.  |
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