It?s been nearly two years since Chihuahua-born southpaw power puncher Daniel Ponce DeLeon captured the WBO super bantamweight title in Golden Boy Promotion?s first World Cup of Boxing tournament that featured ?Team Mexico vs. Team Thailand?.
It took all of DeLeon?s heart and survival skills to get up from an early rounds knockdown and win a hard-fought 12-round unanimous decision against then undefeated fellow southpaw Sod Looknongyangtoy in the co-featured bout of the tournament that was held at the Desert Diamond Casino in Tucson.
For a brief period following his title victory, DeLeon ? who had been criticized for his awkward style and crude technique, and all but dismissed following his first (and only) career loss to current title holder Celestino Caballero in early 2005 ? experienced a surge in his popularity and respect due to three-consecutive KO title defenses.
After a brutal second-round stoppage over Gerson Guerrero on the non-televised undercard of the Fernando Montiel Vs. Jhonny Gonzalez headliner at the Home Depot Center (which was televised on HBO?s Boxing After Dark), De Leon violently and suddenly took out Looknongyangtoy in the first round of their HBO PPV-televised rematch, which led to an unexpected HBO PPV televised headliner assignment against Al Seeger (as the Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Jimrex Jaca main event bout fell out due to the Filipino challenger?s last minute visa problems). De Leon went on to (as put by MaxBoxing?s Steve Kim) ?club Seeger like a baby seal? all around the ring until a merciful eighth-round stoppage in El Paso, Texas last October.
But this past March, DeLeon lost a significant amount of the acceptance among fight fans that he may have earned with his title run, by struggling (although not on the official judge?s scorecards) to a unanimous decision to former WBC super flyweight champ Gerry Penalosa on the undercard of the HBO PPV-televised Marco Antonio Barrera-Marquez showdown.
DeLeon, who improved his record to an impressive 31-1 (28) by lopsided scores of 120-108 and 119-109 (twice), did not have as easy a time as those official tallies would indicate as the Mexican titlist would trade heavy leather with the Filipino veteran early in the bout, hurting his hand along the way, and finally have to settle for merely out-working and out-pointing an older foe (34) who would not be driven back.
Team DeLeon admitted to having taken the Filipino lightly after the bout. The 27-year-old title holder vows that it was the first and last time that would ever happen in his career.
This Saturday night, in the co-main event of Golden Boy Promotions? second Boxing World Cup, where Team Mexico will take on Team Philippines, DeLeon has been given the chance to make amends when he faces his mandatory challenger Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista.
In Bautista, DeLeon is fighting the exact opposite of Penalosa ? a very young (21), very strong (and headstrong) orthodox fighter, who is not the best technician, but as his nickname suggests, makes up for any technical mistakes with sheer heart and offense.
DeLeon-Bautista will be televised on an HBO ?Boxing After Dark? show along with Jhonny Gonzalez?s WBO 118-pound title defense against Penalosa from the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California.
As of late last week, DeLeon has been tapering down his usually grueling workouts and the fighter known as ?the Tarahumara Destroyer? because of his Indian ancestry says he?s almost ready to go.
?I feel good; I?ve been training hard,? said DeLeon, who is trained and advised by boxing biz vet Joe Hernandez. ?A lot of preparation and conditioning has gone into this fight. I just need to drop couple of pounds and I?ll be ready.
?There?s no [hand] injuries this time, so I?m much better for this fight than was the case for the last one. I?m also much faster.?
DeLeon will need to be faster than ever as his opponent is a quick-fisted banger himself. Bautista, who is reportedly wildly popular in his native Philippines, enters Saturday?s title bout with an impressive 23-0 (17) record.
DeLeon knows how dangerous Bautista is and he plans on asserting his edge in experience, and perhaps raw power, from the outset of the contest.
?I won?t let him get into the fight from the start,? DeLeon said. ?As soon as the bell rings I will come out punching. I will not let him set the tempo of the bout. I will not go back. Instead, I will pressure and drive him backwards.
?I will be as difficult for him as Penalosa was for me, using my southpaw stance to my full advantage. I?m not giving Bautista any clean shots and I?ll be looking for errors on which to capitalize on.?
If both men do what they say they will do in the ring, DeLeon-Bautista might have the chance of being as good a showdown as last week?s WBC 122-pound title slugfest between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez.
Having lost some luster after the Penalosa fight, does DeLeon feel added pressure to put on an exciting performance in Saturday?s co-main event?
?Not at all,? says DeLeon, ?because I will give the best show. I?ll give the public what they want and show that I like to be the main event fighter.
?I will win one way or another. I?m going to make it a spectacle. Bautista says he has a dream to be a champion, but we all have the same dream. I have achieved it and will not relinquish my dream. I will not give him the opportunity to lift my belt. The only way that will happen is if he knocks me out, either that or put on the greatest boxing display ever, something extra special. I will not let him win my title.?
With the super bantamweight division red hot at the moment, what does DeLeon think of last week?s rematch between Vazquez and Marquez?
?It was a great fight,? DeLeon said. ?I thought Marquez did not prepare fully. He took (Vazquez) too lightly and ran out of gas. Vazquez looked in much better shape than was the case last time out and the result showed. This time he was able to get on the inside on a consistent basis and do his damage, zapping Marquez?s energy with the fight turning out the way it did.?
After two ?fight of the year? candidates and a rubbermatch looming between the two next year, De Leon has an aye towards facing the winner, provided everything comes out right this Saturday night.
?They are one and one now, I should be next in line to unify the titles with the winner of their third fight,? DeLeon said with the utmost respect for his 122-pound peers. ?Both are great fighters and have shown it.
?Of course I have to win my own fight. Bautista is nothing to take lightly. He has his tools, but like I said, I will defeat him. Then I would like to get a fight against an opponent with a similar style of the winner of the Vazquez-Marquez rubbermatch, maybe someone who is world ranked, in order to get ready for that fight.
?I don?t have a preference as to who wins. I would love to fight either one with the winner taking it all.?
With the 122-pound division currently in the spotlight and the stakes so high for the winner of Saturday?s contest, have there been any talks or plans by Golden Boy Promotions, DeLeon?s promoter, to get the winner of the WBO 122-pound title fight a showdown with next years WBC super bantamweight rubbermatch?
?There has been no talk of anything at the moment,? said Joe Hernandez. ?Whatever happens next will be riding on Saturday night?s result.?
