MEXICAN World Boxing Organization super bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce De Leon is confident he can beat Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista when the two warriors meet on Aug. 11 for the main event of the boxing World Cup in to be held in Sacramento.
De Leon, whose last successful defense was a controversial unanimous decision win over former WBC super flyweight king Gerry Pe?alosa last April, revealed he is now 100 percent in his training this early.
“I expect a win. I am preparing at 100 percent. Even though we are about a month and a half from the fight, I feel ready and prepared to fight next week, whenever. I am always ready to fight and I am ready to beat Bautista,” de Leon told Fightnews.com.
The de Leon (31-1, 28 KOs) vs. Bautista (23-0, 17 KOs) 12-round fight is the top event of the six-fight Mexico vs. the Philippines World Cup, promoted by the Golden Boy Promotions.
The card also features Jhonny Gonzales defending his WBO bantamweight belt against Pe?alosa; Cebuano Bert Batawang opposite Jose Alberto Rosas for the IBF 108-pound eliminator bout; Z “The Dream” Gorres against Gerson Guerrero for the IBF super flyweight title eliminatior bout; Miguel Roman against Michael Domingo. World title hopeful AJ “Bazooka” Banal will also be in the toughest test of his young career against as he faces the former world champion Eric Ortiz.
As to de leon, the 28-year-old champion is already looking beyond Bautista.
De Leon wants to fight in an unification bout against the winner of the Rafael Marquez vs. Israel Vasquez rematch on Aug. 4 at the Dodge Arena in Hidalgo, Texas.
“I want to win this fight; I am very focused in this fight. Once I win this fight, I want to stay in this division, in the 122-pound, and defend my title against the best in the world, in attractive fights – in fights the public wants to see. I am ready to fight anybody,” De Leon said.
Meanwhile, Golden Boy chief executive officer Richard Schaefer announced the world cup has attracted a large interest at the vastly Mexican and Filipino-populated Sacramento area.
According to Schaefer, there is now a tremendous demand for tickets for the second edition of the two-nation competition, which started back in October 2005.
